Changing Our Future
by ginnyweasly123
Summary: ADOPTED FROM READFREAK007. Action,Apologies,Friendship,Hardship and a Little Romance.  Story is much better than the summary. Rated T because I'm paraniod!
1. Chapter 1

#Sometime in the future#

"Okay so are we going to do this or not?" someone asked

"We are going to do this Izzy" someone replied.

"LET'S GO!" cried twelve voices at the same time.

#PRESENT#

"Come on Harry! We've got to be on time for the meeting!" yelled Hermione up the stairs to the boy's dorm. "Bloody hell, Hermione" said Ron. "Give him a break he'll come down when he's read-" PLOP! Ron was gone.

"Harry, Harry, come down here! Quick! Ron just disappeared!" Hermione screamed, already panicking.

Harry came sprinting down the stairs of the boy's dormitory. "What do you mean Ron disappeared?" he said.

"We were just waiting for you to come down when suddenly he just dis–"PLOP! Hermione was gone.

"Hermione!" Harry yelled. PLOP! He too was gone.

When he felt ground under his feet he opened his eyes not even realizing he had closed them. He was standing in a room that strangely reminded him of the Gryffindor common room. He saw at least twenty people sitting on the couches so he went to them just when he heard Hermione ask something

"Professor," she asked Dumbledore "Do you happen to know where we are and why we're here?" "No I don't miss Granger" he answered "but I believe that there will come an explanation."

Harry looked around and was astonished to see…"Aunt Petunia?" he exclaimed

"Harry" she said bewildered "Do you know why I am here?"

Harry surprised by her nice-ness couldn't find his voice so he just shook his head. He wondered why they were all here when a note appeared in Dumbledore's lap. He took it and read out loud.

_"Dear Harry, Hermione, Luna, Neville, Sirius, Severus, Draco, Remus, Tonks, Petunia, Minerva, Albus, Fleur and the Weasley family._

_We cannot explain everything by a note so we will send some of us for an explanation in a moment._

_Love From,_

_DW, MAW, VW, LM, LM, SM, TRL, JSP, ASP, LLP, RW, HW. "_

"Okay" said Fred breaking the silence "Who the hell are those people?"

"I have a feeling we're about to find out" said Dumbledore just as two girls and three boys appeared. One of the girls had red hair and brown eyes and the other was blonde with grey eyes. One of the boys (that looked a lot like the second girl) was blonde too and also had grey eyes. The other two boys both had blue eyes but one of them was tall and blonde while the other was shorter with brown hair.

"Hello!" they all said together.

One of the boys stepped forward and said "I am Hugo and this is my sister Rose" He pointed to the older looking girl "Her boyfriend Scorpius." He said pointing to the tall blonde standing behind Rose with his arms wrapped around her waist. "And lastly his twin siblings Lysander and Larissa." He said pointing out the two smaller blondes standing next to him. "We're from the future".

"Hugo, I've said before its Sander and Izzy" said Izzy looking annoyed and glaring at him.

Everyone just stared at them open mouthed until Draco broke the silence saying "So are you related to some of us or something?"

"Yes we are." Rose said. Everyone stared at her. Rose sighed and said "Give me the note and I'll explain!"

Dumbledore passed her the note, she looked at it and said "So the initials are from our friends and in correct order they are: Dominic Weasley, Mari-Anne Weasley, Victoire Weasley, Lysander Malfoy, Larissa Malfoy, Scorpius Malfoy, Teddy Remus Lupin, James Sirius Potter, Albus Severus Potter, Lily Luna Potter, Rose Weasley and Hugo Weasley."

Everyone was looking around the room trying to figure out who was going to have kids when suddenly Mrs. Weasley squealed "Grandkids!"

Everyone gave her a weird look. When she noticed she said "What! I've always wanted grandkids!"

"Moving on" said Izzy quickly "We can tell you everything at the end of this, if you haven't figured it out by then. We have to explain to you guys how it works here. After we leave some other 'kids' will come here and give you a book." There were some chuckles here and there but they stopped when they saw her glare. "It's a book about your future and we want you to do all you can to stop all the loss the war has caused! If you succeed you'll save many."

"Okay" Sander said loudly after a rather long pause."Now something else, you see we can't tell you who's going to marry who but we can tell you who our fathers are. You know 'cause we have the last name and all!"

"But we'll only tell you if everyone wants to know!" Rose said bossily.

"Of course they want to know!" Exclaimed Hugo "how many times have you been trapped in a room and have your kids show up hmm?"

"Righ...t" Rose said sarcastically.

Everyone had been watching the scene in amusement until Ginny said "So, are you going to tell us or what?"

"We're getting there" Said Izzy" You don't have to be so pushy!" Before Ginny could give an answer to that Lysander interrupted quickly seeing her expression.

"Right Rose, you can tell them!"

Rose sighed and began the list."Well Hugo and I are Ron's" She stated, pulling a face."It feels weird to call dad Ron."She said defensively."Anyhow" Izzy interrupted."Me, Sander and Scorpi" she said sticking her tongue out and making a face. "Oi!" "…are Draco's. You're right it is weird!"Everyone laughed. When everyone was calmed down she continued." Next is Vicky, Annie and Dom and they are Bill's. Then there is James, Lily and Al and they're Harry's. And then you Remus have Teddy, and before you ask, no he didn't inherit your lycanthropy."She said when she saw Remus open his mouth. At this statement a few people gasped.

"So I guess we'll leave you waiting for the 'book carriers'." Izzy said in a scary voice. After that they disappeared.

"Wow!"Everyone said.

While they were waiting in silence they looked around to see who was in the room. Severus' eyes landed on a woman.

"Petunia" He said breaking the silence. She looked at him with her eyes wide in shock. "Severus."She said."Wait."Harry said."You know each other?"He wasn't the only one who was confused."We used to live close when we were kids." Petunia said.

They were about to say more when suddenly two girls appeared followed by a boy. The oldest looking one was blonde with blue eyes. The other girl had red hair and blue eyes and the boy also had red hair and blue eyes.

"Hello!" they all said."Well as Rose already said you'll get a book" the oldest said holding up a book. Everyone looked at the title and harry groaned.

"_'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince_'" The younger looking girl read out. When the title was read out Severus tensed up and started looking nervous.

"We have to warn you to not judge anyone until you read all the books. Before we leave we can also tell you who we are and we can tell you who our parents are because they're already together." The older girl said "I am Victoire but you can call me Vicky."

"And I am Dominic, but everyone calls me Dom." said the boy.

"I am Dominic's twin Mari-Anne, but call me Annie" Said the younger girl.

"Our parents are Bill and Fleur Weasley." Finished Vicky. Everyone turned to look at Bill and Fleur.

"Looks like we're going to get married" Bill said to Fleur who was beaming at him. Fleur then leaned in and gave Bill a kiss on the cheek. Ginny mimed throwing up to Harry behind their backs.

"Well you better start reading because there's another one after this. Oh and Aunt Ginny I saw that!" Annie said right before they disappeared.

Once everyone recovered from the shock Dumbledore asked "Who wants to read?"

"I'll do it" This came from Hermione. "No surprises there, hey mate?" Ron muttered to harry. Unfortunately for Ron, Hermoine happened to hear and discreetly leant over harry and whacked Ron on the back of the head with the book. "OI. What was that for? And why didn't you hit Harry, he agreed with me!" He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. "Because, I didn't know that." She replied sticking her tongue out at him and then continued to lean over and hit Harry on the back of the head as well. "OI." He muttered sticking his tongue out at her. "When you are quite finished can we start the book, Mrs Granger." Said Minnie Mc G, rather forcefully. "Sorry Professor." All three muttered. Minnie replied by giving her three favourite students a smile.


	2. Chapter 2

"**The Other Minister"** read Hermione.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Percy asked.

Everyone glared at him and Harry noticed that Ginny had to restrain herself from practicing her bat-bogey hex on him. "Ginny, listen to me, there will be plenty of opportunities to hex him later can we just start the book?' Harry muttered to the angry red head. "Sure Harry." She replied giving him a smile.

"What it's not like the minister is retiring" Percy said pompously

"Well he should. He doesn't even do anything now that the country is in grave danger!" yelled Tonks.

"I still can't see how you all believe him. He just said that to get attention!"Percy sneered, pointing at Harry.

Within seconds Percy had almost every wand in the room pointed at him. Before anyone could hex him they heard a quiet but strong voice."You can say whatever you want boy but now you're going too far. If you think Harry is searching for attention that just shows you don't know him very well!" Everyone looked surprised at Petunia's outburst.

"Aunt Petunia..." Harry started

"Harry, I know I haven't treated you well and I'm really sorry about that. The truth is that I was jealous. I was jealous that you could do magic while I never could and jealous because you were proof of a relationship that was about love while mine was all about threatening to hit me if I didn't do what he said!" Somewhere in all this she started crying but the only one who wasn't too shocked to go comfort her was Snape so he did. While she cried on his shoulder she choked out "Harry will you please help me. I can't get a divorce without proof that he actually hit me you can help me! Do anything you can. Videotape it if it's the only way but I just want to get out there." She was sobbing uncontrollably and Harry pitied her.

"O-okay I'll help you!"He said. Everyone watched this exchange with surprise. They all thought that Petunia was as cruel as her husband.

"Well" Said Snape "While we're apologising I would like to say something" Everyone shifted their attention to him and he continued. "I was jealous too, of your father. He had everything I wanted, great friends, parents that loved him and to top it all off, my best friend fell for him and they had you. Every time I got a letter from her all she talked about was how wonderful everything was. I was jealous that they had a life like that while all I could do was hide from my dad at home. I wanted a life like they had." At the end of his speech he was in tears. A sight so rare everyone was shocked in silence. The first to say something was Draco. Both of the crying people were supporting each other.

"Right, Potter I want to call a truce. Every 'Bad Guy' has apologised except for me and the ministry prat."

"Oi!" "Shut up its true! Well I just want you to know that I'm sorry for everything that I've done and for everything that I'm going to do in the books. I was just jealous of the attention you got and the friends that actually cared for you! So I'm sorry I acted like a prat! So... Friends?" He asked offering out his hand.

"Friends." Harry repeated, taking the offered hand. Dumbledore watched the apologies with a twinkle in his eyes. Yes, this was going to make everything so much easier.

"Hem, hem" they suddenly heard. Everyone looked in the direction of the sound to find Ginny looking as innocent as ever.

"What?" she said "I had to get your attention somehow! Can we continue with the book now?"

"Right!" They chorused.

**The Other Minister**

Percy let out an annoyed huff but got ignored by everyone.

**It was nearing midnight and the Prime Minister was sitting alone in his office, reading a long memo that was slipping through his brain without leaving the slightest trace of meaning behind. **

"It's probably the muggle minister!" said Tonks

"Huh, that makes sense." Said Ron

"No, really?" came Ginny's sarcastic reply. He glared at her.

**He was waiting for a call from the President of a far distant country, and between wondering when the wretched man would telephone, and trying to suppress unpleasant memories of what had been a very long, tiring, and difficult week, there was not much space in his head for anything else. The more he attempted to focus on the print on the page before him, the more clearly the Prime Minister could see the gloating face of one of his political opponents. This particular opponent had appeared on the news that very day, not only to enumerate all the terrible things that had happened in the last week (as though anyone needed reminding) but also to explain why each and every one of them was the government's fault. The Prime Minister's pulse quickened at the very thought of these accusations, for they were neither fair nor true.**

"It certainly isn't fair! It's outrageous!" said Mr. Weasley

**How on earth was his government supposed to have stopped that bridge collapsing? It was outrageous for anybody to suggest that they were not spending enough on bridges. The bridge was fewer than ten years old, and the best experts were at a loss to explain why it had snapped cleanly in two, sending a dozen cars into the watery depths of the river below.**

"Oh, those poor people!" said Mrs. Weasley

**And how dare anyone suggest that it was lack of policemen that had resulted in those two very nasty and well-publicized murders? Or that the government should have somehow foreseen the freak hurricane in the West Country that had caused so much damage to both people and property? And was it his fault that one of his Junior Ministers, Herbert Chorley, had chosen this week to act so peculiarly that he was now going to be spending a lot more time with his family? "A grim mood has gripped the country," the opponent had concluded, barely concealing his own broad grin. And unfortunately, this was perfectly true. The Prime Minister felt it himself; people really did seem more miserable than usual. Even the weather was dismal; all this chilly mist in the middle of July… It wasn't right, it wasn't normal…**

"Dementors" Said Sirius with a haunted look on his face, shivering.

**He turned over the second page of the memo, saw how much longer it went on, and gave it up as a bad job. Stretching his arms above his head he looked around his office mournfully. It was a handsome room, with a fine marble fireplace facing the long sash windows, firmly closed against the unseasonable chill. With a slight shiver, the Prime Minister got up and moved over to the window, looking out at the thin mist that was pressing itself against the glass. It was then, as he stood with his back to the room, that he heard a soft cough behind him. He froze, nose to nose with his own scared-looking reflection in the dark glass. He knew that cough. He had heard it before. He turned very slowly to face the empty room."Hello?" he said, trying to sound braver than he felt. For a brief moment he allowed himself the impossible hope that nobody would answer him. However, a voice responded at once, a crisp, decisive voice that sounded as though it were reading a prepared statement. It was coming — as the Prime Minister had known at the first cough — from the froglike little man wearing a long silver wig who was depicted in a small, dirty oil painting in the far corner of the room. **

"Froglike little man?" said Ron pondering. "Maybe he's related to Umbitch!"

"Ronald Billius Weasley! Language!" yelled Mrs. Weasley.

"I feel sorry for him."George said

"Yeah" said Fred. "Who would want to be related to her?"

**"To the Prime Minister of Muggles. Urgent we meet. Kindly respond immediately. Sincerely, Fudge." The man in the painting looked inquiringly at the Prime Minister. "Er," said the Prime Minister, "listen… It's not a very good time for me… I'm waiting for a telephone call, you see… from the President of —""That can be rearranged," said the portrait at once. The Prime Minister's heart sank. He had been afraid of that. "But I really was rather hoping to speak —""We shall arrange for the President to forget to call. He will telephone tomorrow night instead," said the little man. "Kindly respond immediately to Mr. Fudge." "I… oh… very well," said the Prime Minister weakly. "Yes, I'll see Fudge." **

"Poor guy, he has to put up with Fudge. That's real torture!" Said Fred solemnly.

Nearly everyone nodded at this true statement.

Percy scowled at them all.

**He hurried back to his desk, straightening his tie as he went. He had barely resumed his seat, and arranged his face into what he hoped was a relaxed and unfazed expression, when bright green flames burst into life in the empty grate beneath his marble mantelpiece. He watched, trying not to betray a flicker of surprise or alarm, as a portly man appeared within the flames, spinning as fast as a top. Seconds later, he had climbed out onto a rather fine antique rug, brushing ash from the sleeves of his long pin-striped cloak, a lime-green bowler hat in his hand. "Ah… Prime Minister," said Cornelius Fudge, striding forward with his hand outstretched. "Good to see you again." The Prime Minister could not honestly return this compliment**,

"Who could!" said Bill.

**So he said nothing at all. He was not remotely pleased to see Fudge, whose occasional appearances, apart from being downright alarming in themselves, generally meant that he was about to hear some very bad news. Furthermore, Fudge was looking distinctly careworn. He was thinner, balder, and greyer and his face had a crumpled look. **

"What happened to him!" said Percy

Everyone glared at him…again.

**The Prime Minister had seen that kind of look in politicians before, and it never boded well. "How can I help you?" he said, shaking Fudge's hand very briefly and gesturing toward the hardest of the chairs in front of the desk. "Difficult to know where to begin," muttered Fudge, pulling up the chair, sitting down, and placing his green bowler upon his knees. "What a week, what a week…""Had a bad one too, have you?" asked the Prime Minister stiffly, hoping to convey by this that he had quite enough on his plate already without any extra helpings from Fudge. "Yes, of course," said Fudge, rubbing his eyes wearily and looking morosely at the Prime Minister. "I've been having the same week you have, Prime Minister. The Brockdale Bridge… the Bones and Vance murders…**

"Emmeline Vance? Oh Merlin, isn't she in the order?" said a concerned Charlie.

"Amelia?" Minnie said faintly, looking white. Amelia Bones was one of her closest friends. She lost a lot of friends in the last war and she couldn't afford to lose anyone else. It would hurt too much. . _(A/N. We are going to call Prof. Mc Gonagall , Minnie as it is easier.)_

**not to mention the ruckus in the West Country…""You — er — your — I mean to say, some of your people were — were involved in those — those things, were they?" Fudge fixed the Prime Minister with a rather stern look. "Of course they were," he said, "Surely you've realized what's going on?"**

"How was he supposed to know what was going on you stupid git!" Yelled Hermione. "Hey mate. Do you think that we should tell her that she is talking to a book?" Harry muttered to Ron "Nah mate, that would get her even more upset." Came Ron's muttered reply.

**"I…" hesitated the Prime Minister. It was precisely this sort of behavior that made him dislike Fudge's visits so much. He was, after all, the Prime Minister and did not appreciate being made to feel like an ignorant schoolboy.**

Everyone snorted at that.

**But of course, it had been like this from his very first meeting with Fudge on his very first evening as Prime Minister. He remembered it as though it were yesterday and knew it would haunt him until his dying day. He had been standing alone in this very office, savoring the triumph that was his after so many years of dreaming and scheming, when he had heard a cough behind him, just like tonight, and turned to find that ugly little portrait talking to him, announcing that the Minister of Magic was about to arrive and introduce himself. Naturally, he had thought that the long campaign and the strain of the election had caused him to go mad.**

"No it didn't!" Everyone chorused

**He had been utterly terrified to find a portrait talking to him, though this had been nothing to how he felt when a self-proclaimed wizard had bounced out of the fireplace and shaken his hand. He had remained speechless throughout Fudge's kindly explanation that there were witches and wizards still living in secret all over the world and his reassurances that he was not to bother his head about them as the Ministry of Magic took responsibility for the whole Wizarding community and prevented the non-magical population from getting wind of them. It was, said Fudge, a difficult job that encompassed everything from regulations on responsible use of broomsticks to keeping the dragon population under control (the Prime Minister remembered clutching the desk for support at this point). Fudge had then patted the shoulder of the still-dumbstruck Prime Minister in a fatherly sort of way. "Not to worry," he had said, "it's odds-on you'll never see me again. I'll only bother you if there's something really serious going on our end, something that's likely to affect the Muggles — the non-magical population, I should say. Otherwise, it's live and let live. And I must say, you're taking it a lot better than your predecessor. He tried to throw me out the window,**

"Wish he did!" Said Ron bitterly which caused everyone to laugh and Percy to scowled even more.

**thought I was a hoax planned by the opposition." At this, the Prime Minister had found his voice at last. "You're — you're not a hoax, then?" It had been his last, desperate hope."No," said Fudge gently. "No, I'm afraid I'm not. Look."And he had turned the Prime Minister's teacup into a gerbil."But," said the Prime Minister breathlessly, watching his teacup chewing on the corner of his next speech, "but why — why has nobody told me —?"**

"Because you would think they were mad!" Exclaimed Ginny.

**"The Minister of Magic only reveals him — or herself to the Muggle Prime Minister of the day," said Fudge, poking his wand back inside his jacket. "We find it the best way to maintain secrecy.""But then," bleated the Prime Minister, "why hasn't a former Prime Minister warned me —?"At this, Fudge had actually laughed."My dear Prime Minister, are you ever going to tell anybody?"Still chortling, Fudge had thrown some powder into the fireplace, stepped into the emerald flames, and vanished with a whooshing sound. The Prime Minister had stood there, quite motionless, and realized that he would never, as long as he lived, dare mention this encounter to a living soul, for who in the wide world would believe him? The shock had taken a little while to wear off. For a time, he had tried to convince himself that Fudge had indeed been a hallucination brought on by lack of sleep during his grueling election campaign. In a vain attempt to rid himself of all reminders of this uncomfortable encounter, he had given the gerbil to his delighted niece and instructed his private secretary to take down the portrait of the ugly little man who had announced Fudge's arrival. To the Prime Minister's dismay, however, the portrait had proved impossible to remove. When several carpenters, a builder or two, an art historian, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer had all tried unsuccessfully to pry it from the wall, the Prime Minister had abandoned the attempt and simply resolved to hope that the thing remained motionless and silent for the rest of his term in office. Occasionally he could have sworn he saw out of the corner of his eye the occupant of the painting yawning, or else scratching his nose; even, once or twice, simply walking out of his frame and leaving nothing but a stretch of muddy-brown canvas behind. However, he had trained himself not to look at the picture very much, and always to tell himself firmly that his eyes were playing tricks on him when anything like this , three years ago, on a night very like tonight, the Prime Minister had been alone in his office when the portrait had once again announced the imminent arrival of Fudge, who had burst out of the fireplace, sopping wet and in a state of considerable panic. Before the Prime Minister could ask why he was dripping all over the Axminster, Fudge had started ranting about a prison the Prime Minister had never heard of, a man named "Serious" Black,**

"Haha, even the book knows the joke!" said Sirius

"Padfoot, that joke hasn't been funny since end of first year!" said an exasperated Remus, rolling his eyes.

s**omething that sounded like 'Hogwarts' and a boy called Harry Potter, none of which made the remotest sense to the Prime Minister. "… I've just come from Azkaban," Fudge had panted, tipping a large amount of water out of the rim of his bowler hat into his pocket. "Middle of the North Sea, you know, nasty flight… the dementors are in uproar"— he shuddered — "they've never had a breakout before. Anyway, I had to come to you, Prime Minister. Black's a known Muggle killer and may be planning to rejoin You-Know-Who… But of course, you don't even know who You-Know-Who is!" He had gazed hopelessly at the Prime Minister for a moment, then said, "Well, sit down, sit down, I'd better fill you in… Have a whiskey…"The Prime Minister rather resented being told to sit down in his own office, let alone offered his own whiskey, but he sat nevertheless. Fudge pulled out his wand, conjured two large glasses full of amber liquid out of thin air, pushed one of them into the Prime Minister's hand, and drew up a chair. Fudge had talked for more than an hour. At one point, he had refused to say a certain name aloud and wrote it instead on a piece of parchment, which he had thrust into the Prime Minister's whiskey-free hand.**

"Coward" several people muttered.

**When at last Fudge had stood up to leave, the Prime Minister had stood up too. "So you think that…" He had squinted down at the name in his left hand. "Lord Vol —""He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" snarled Fudge. "I'm sorry… You think that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is still alive, then?" "Well, Dumbledore says he is," said Fudge, as he had fastened his pin-striped cloak under his chin, "but we've never found him. If you ask me, he's not dangerous unless he's got support, so it's Black we ought to be worrying about. **

"Yeah right, as if Sirius would hurt anyone! I mean come one he's scared of cats for Merlin's sake!" Tonks said with an amused edge to her voice.

"Hey, I am not scared of cats! I get along perfectly with Crookshanks thank you very much!" Sirius said affronted. Everyone else just snorted in reply.

**You'll put out that warning, then? Excellent. Well, I hope we don't see each other again, Prime Minister! Good night." But they had seen each other again. Less than a year later a harassed-looking Fudge had appeared out of thin air in the cabinet room to inform the Prime Minister that there had been a spot of bother at the Kwidditch (or that was what it had sounded like) World Cup and that several Muggles had been "involved," but that the Prime Minister was not to worry, the fact that You-Know-Who's Mark had been seen again meant nothing;**

"No of course that means nothing just that the death eaters are back and that they are after the muggles but that's just details" Draco said sarcastically. Everyone looked at him and the burst out laughing so hard that it took a couple of minutes for everyone to calm down.

**Fudge was sure it was an isolated incident, and the Muggle Liaison Office was dealing with all memory modifications as they spoke. "Oh, and I almost forgot," Fudge had added. "We're importing three foreign dragons and a sphinx for the Triwizard Tournament, quite routine,**

"Yeah of course routine…" said Fred seriously.

"…we have dragons over every week" finished George solemnly.

**but the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures tells me that it's down in the rule book that we have to notify you if we're bringing highly dangerous creatures into the country." "I — what — dragons?" spluttered the Prime Minister. "Yes, three" said Fudge.**

"Four!" yelled Ron _(A/N rather loudly might we add)_

"OI RON, sensitive hearing here" shouted Remus

"Oh sorry" Replied a very embarrassed Ron.

**"And a sphinx. Well, good day to you." The Prime Minister had hoped beyond hope that dragons and sphinxes would be the worst of it, but no. Less than two years later, Fudge had erupted out of the fire yet again, this time with the news that there had been a mass breakout from Azkaban. "A mass breakout?" repeated the Prime Minister hoarsely. "No need to worry, no need to worry!" shouted Fudge, already with one foot in the flames. "We'll have them rounded up in no time — just thought you ought to know!" And before the Prime Minister could shout, "Now, wait just one moment!" Fudge had vanished in a shower of green sparks. Whatever the press and the opposition might say, the Prime Minister was not a foolish man. It had not escaped his notice that, despite Fudge's assurances at their first meeting, they were now seeing rather a lot of each other, nor that Fudge was becoming more flustered with each visit. Little though he liked to think about the Minister of Magic (or, as he always called Fudge in his head, the Other Minister), the Prime Minister could not help but fear that the next time Fudge appeared it would be with graver news still. The site, therefore, of Fudge stepping out of the fire once more, looking disheveled and fretful and sternly surprised that the Prime Minister did not know exactly why he was there, was about the worst thing that had happened in the course of this extremely gloomy week. "How should I know what's going on in the — er — Wizarding community?" snapped the Prime Minister now. "I have a country to run and quite enough concerns at the moment without —""We have the same concerns," Fudge interrupted. "The Brockdale Bridge didn't wear out. That wasn't really a hurricane. Those murders were not the work of Muggles. And Herbert Chorley's family would be safer without him. We are currently making arrangements to have him transferred to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. The move should be affected tonight." "What do you… I'm afraid I… What?" blustered the Prime Minister. Fudge took a great, deep breath and said, "Prime Minister, I am very sorry to have to tell you that he's back. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back." **

Everyone was silent at that until Tonks said

"Well he finally realized what a stupid git he has been."

Percy on the other hand didn't look too happy about that. He just couldn't understand that such a powerful man as Fudge would listen to the nonsense that this boy was telling. He didn't say anything though; he did not want to have his relatives glare at him again. His mother and sister's glare were quit terrifying.

**"Back? When you say 'back'… he's alive? I mean —"The Prime Minister groped in his memory for the details of that horrible conversation of three years previously, when Fudge had told him about the wizard who was feared above all others, the wizard who had committed a thousand terrible crimes before his mysterious disappearance fifteen years earlier. "Yes, alive," said Fudge. "That is — I don't know — is a man alive if he can't be killed? I don't really understand it, and Dumbledore won't explain properly — but anyway, he's certainly got a body and is walking and talking and killing, so I suppose, for the purposes of our discussion, yes, he's alive." The Prime Minister did not know what to say to this, but a persistent habit of wishing to appear well-informed on any subject that came up made him cast around for any details he could remember of their previous conversations. "Is Serious Black with — er — He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" "Black? Black?" said Fudge distractedly, turning his bowler rapidly in his fingers. "Sirius Black, you mean? Merlin's beard, no.**

Hermione gasped and dropped the book. When she looked up she had tears in her eyes.

"What's the matter miss Granger?" said Minnie in a worried voice.

**Black's dead. **

Hermione's voice cracked and broke on the last part. There was a stunned silence. Then hell broke loose. Everyone was shouting and even Snape and Draco looked really sad.

Harry ran over to his Godfather and enveloped him in a bone crushing hug, the others didn't wait long to join them.

"I can't lose you too Sirius." Harry whispered to him with tears in his eyes.

"We'll change it Harry. I'm not going to die! We'll make sure that I'll survive this!" he replied.

**Turns out we were — er — mistaken about Black. He was innocent after all. **

"At least I got my freedom back!" Sirius said trying to lighten the mood. No that it worked.

**And he wasn't in league with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named either. I mean," he added defensively, spinning the bowler hat still faster, "all the evidence pointed — we had more than fifty eyewitnesses — but anyway, as I say, he's dead. Murdered, as a matter of fact. On Ministry of Magic premises. There's going to be an inquiry, actually…"To his great surprise, the Prime Minister felt a fleeting stab of pity for Fudge at this point. It was, however, eclipsed almost immediately by a glow of smugness at the thought that, deficient though he himself might be in the area of materializing out of fireplaces, there had never been a murder in any of the government departments under his charge… Not yet, anyway…While the Prime Minister surreptitiously touched the wood of his desk, Fudge continued, "But Blacks by-the-by now. The point is, we're at war, Prime Minister, and steps must be taken." "At war?" repeated the Prime Minister nervously. "Surely that's a little bit of an overstatement?" "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has now been joined by those of his followers who broke out of Azkaban in January,"**

"Oh that's not good!" said Charlie

**said Fudge, speaking more and more rapidly and twirling his bowler so fast that it was a lime-green blur. "Since they have moved into the open, they have been wreaking havoc. The Brockdale Bridge — he did it, Prime Minister, he threatened a mass Muggle killing unless I stood aside for him and —""Good grief, so it's your fault those people were killed and I'm having to answer questions about rusted rigging and corroded expansion joints and I don't know what else!" said the Prime Minister furiously. "My fault!" said Fudge, coloring up. "Are you saying you would have caved in to blackmail like that?" "Maybe not," said the Prime Minister, standing up and striding about the room, "but I would have put all my efforts into catching the blackmailer before he committed any such atrocity!" "Do you really think I wasn't already making every effort?" demanded Fudge heatedly. "Every Auror in the Ministry was — and is — trying to find him and round up his followers, but we happen to be talking about one of the most powerful wizards of all time, a wizard who has eluded capture for almost three decades!" "So I suppose you're going to tell me he caused the hurricane in the West Country too?" said the Prime Minister, his temper rising with every pace he took. It was infuriating to discover the reason for all these terrible disasters and not to be able to tell the public, almost worse than it being the government's fault after all. "That was no hurricane," said Fudge miserably. "Excuse me!" barked the Prime Minister, now positively stamping up and down. "Trees uprooted, roofs ripped off, lampposts bent, horrible injuries —""It was the Death Eaters," said Fudge. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's followers. And… and we suspect giant involvement."**

"Oh that's really not good!" said Charlie hopping up and down in his seat. His actions made a couple people chuckle.

**The Prime Minister stopped in his tracks as though he had hit an invisible wall. "What involvement?" Fudge grimaced. "He used giants last time, when he wanted to go for the grand effect," he said. "The Office of Misinformation has been working around the clock, we've had teams of Obliviators out trying to modify the memories of all the Muggles who saw what really happened, we've got most of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures running around Somerset, but we can't find the giant — it's been a disaster." "You don't say!" said the Prime Minister furiously. "I won't deny that morale is pretty low at the Ministry," said Fudge. "What with all that, and then losing Amelia Bones."**

"**Losing who?" "Amelia Bones. Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We think He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may have murdered her in person, **

There were several gasps at that and someone whispered

"Merlin's beard. Murdered by Voldemort in person!"

**because she was a very gifted witch and — and all the evidence was that she put up a real fight."**

"Sounds like Amelia." Minnie said with a small smile.

**Fudge cleared his throat and, with an effort, it seemed, stopped spinning his bowler hat. "But that murder was in the newspapers," said the Prime Minister, momentarily diverted from his anger. "Our newspapers. Amelia Bones… it just said she was a middle-aged woman who lived alone. It was a — a nasty killing, wasn't it? It's had rather a lot of publicity. The police are baffled, you see." Fudge sighed. "Well, of course they are," he said. "Killed in a room that was locked from the inside, wasn't she? We, on the other hand, know exactly who did it, not that that gets us any further toward catching him. And then there was Emmeline Vance, maybe you didn't hear about that one —""Oh yes I did!" said the Prime Minister. "It happened just around the corner from here, as a matter of fact. The papers had a field day with it, 'breakdown of law and order in the Prime Minister's backyard — '"**

"Political git!" Bill muttered scoffing "Only cares about the publicity!"

**"And as if all that wasn't enough," said Fudge, barely listening to the Prime Minister, "we've got Dementors swarming all over the place, attacking people left, right, and center…"Once upon a happier time this sentence would have been unintelligible to the Prime Minister, but he was wiser now. "I thought Dementors guard the prisoners in Azkaban," he said cautiously. "They did," said Fudge wearily. "But not anymore. They've deserted the prison and joined He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I won't pretend that wasn't a blow." **

"That's not good! That's certainly not good!" said Mrs. Weasley frantically.

**"But," said the Prime Minister, with a sense of dawning horror, "didn't you tell me they're the creatures that drain hope and happiness out of people?" "That's right. And they're breeding. That's what's causing all this mist." Said Fudge. The Prime Minister sank, weak-kneed, into the nearest chair. The idea of invisible creatures swooping through the towns and countryside, spreading despair and hopelessness in his voters, made him feel quite faint. "Now see here, Fudge — you've got to do something! It's your responsibility as Minister of Magic!" "My dear Prime Minister, you can't honestly think I'm still Minister of Magic after all this? I was sacked three days ago!**

Everyone was cheering at that. The no-good git finally got sacked. After ten minutes of cheering Hermione continued reading.

**The whole Wizarding community has been screaming for my resignation for a fortnight. I've never known them so united in my whole term of office!" said Fudge, with a brave attempt at a smile. The Prime Minister was momentarily lost for words. Despite his indignation at the position into which he had been placed, he still rather felt for the shrunken-looking man sitting opposite him. "I'm very sorry," he said finally. "If there's anything I can do?""It's very kind of you, Prime Minister, but there is nothing. I was sent here tonight to bring you up to date on recent events and to introduce you to my successor. I rather thought he'd be here by now, but of course, he's very busy at the moment, with so much going on."Fudge looked around at the portrait of the ugly little man wearing the long curly silver wig, who was digging in his ear with the point of a quill.**

Everyone snorted at that.

**Catching Fudge's eye, the portrait said, "He'll be here in a moment, he's just finishing a letter to Dumbledore.""I wish him luck," said Fudge, sounding bitter for the first time. "I've been writing to Dumbledore twice a day for the past fortnight, but he won't budge. If he'd just been prepared to persuade the boy, I might still be…Well, maybe Scrimgeour will have more success."**

"Scimgeour!" said Tonks "As in head Auror, Scimgeour?"

**Fudge subsided into what was clearly an aggrieved silence, but it was broken almost immediately by the portrait, which suddenly spoke in its crisp, official voice."To the Prime Minister of Muggles. Requesting a meeting. Urgent. Kindly respond immediately. Rufus Scrimgeour, Minister of Magic.""Yes, yes, fine," said the Prime Minister distractedly, and he barely flinched as the flames in the grate turned emerald green again, rose up, and revealed a second spinning wizard in their heart, disgorging him moments later onto the antique rug. Fudge got to his feet and, after a moment's hesitation, the Prime Minister did the same, watching the new arrival straighten up, dust down his long black robes, and look around. The Prime Minister's first, foolish thought was that Rufus Scrimgeour looked rather like an old lion. **

Tonks burst out laughing at that. When everyone shot her odd looks she said

"What! That description was rather accurate."

**There were streaks of gray in his mane of tawny hair and his bushy eyebrows; he had keen yellowish eyes behind a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles and a certain rangy, loping grace even though he walked with a slight limp. There was an immediate impression of shrewdness and toughness; the Prime Minister thought he understood why the Wizarding community preferred Scrimgeour to Fudge as a leader in these dangerous times."How do you do?" said the Prime Minister politely, holding out his hand. Scrimgeour grasped it briefly, his eyes scanning the room, then pulled out a wand from under his robes."Fudge told you everything?" he asked, striding over to the door and tapping the keyhole with his wand. The Prime Minister heard the lock click."Er — yes," said the Prime Minister. "And if you don't mind, I'd rather that door remained unlocked.""I'd rather not be interrupted," said Scrimgeour shortly, "or watched," he added, pointing his wand at the windows, so that the curtains swept across them. "Right, well, I'm a busy man, so let's get down to business. First of all, we need to discuss your security."The Prime Minister drew himself up to his fullest height and replied, "I am perfectly happy with the security I've already got, thank you very —""Well, we're not," Scrimgeour cut in. "It'll be a poor lookout for the Muggles if their Prime Minister gets put under the Imperius Curse. The new secretary in your outer office —""I'm not getting rid of Kingsley Shacklebolt, if that's what you're suggesting!" said the Prime Minister hotly.**

"I highly doubt that was what he was suggesting seeing that Kingsley is a wizard!" said Remus chuckling.

**"He's highly efficient, gets through twice the work the rest of them —""That's because he's a wizard," said Scrimgeour, without a flicker of a smile. "A highly trained Auror, who has been assigned to you for your protection." "Now, wait a moment!" declared the Prime Minister. "You can't just put your people into my office, I decide who works for me —""I thought you were happy with Shacklebolt?" said Scrimgeour coldly. "I am — that's to say, I was —""Then there's no problem, is there?" said Scrimgeour. "I… well, as long as Shacklebolt's work continues to be… er… excellent," said the Prime Minister lamely, but Scrimgeour barely seemed to hear him. "Now, about Herbert Chorley, your Junior Minister," he continued. "The one who has been entertaining the public by impersonating a duck." "What about him?" asked the Prime Minister. "He has clearly reacted to a poorly performed Imperius Curse," said Scrimgeour. "It's addled his brains, but he could still be dangerous." "He's only quacking!" said the Prime Minister weakly. "Surely a bit of a rest… Maybe go easy on the drink…""A team of Healers from St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries are examining him as we speak. So far he has attempted to strangle three of them," said Scrimgeour.**

"Oh, my!" said Mrs. Weasley "I hope they were alright!"

**"I think it best that we remove him from Muggle society for a while." "I… well… He'll be all right, won't he?" said the Prime Minister anxiously.**

"I hope so!" said Mr Weasley

**Scrimgeour merely shrugged, already moving back toward the fireplace. "Well, that's really all I had to say. I will keep you posted of developments, Prime Minister — or, at least, I shall probably be too busy to come personally, in which case I shall send Fudge here. He has consented to stay on in an advisory capacity."Fudge attempted to smile, but was unsuccessful; he merely looked as though he had a toothache. Scrimgeour was already rummaging in his pocket for the mysterious powder that turned the fire green. The Prime Minister gazed hopelessly at the pair of them for a moment, then the words he had fought to suppress all evening burst from him at last."But for heaven's sake — you're wizards! You can do magic! Surely you can sort out — well — anything!"**

"Yeah the problem is…"

"…that Voldemort is a wizard too!" said the twins.

**Scrimgeour turned slowly on the spot and exchanged an incredulous look with Fudge, who really did manage a smile this time as he said kindly, "The trouble is, the other side can do magic too, Prime Minister."**

The twins blinked while everyone else laughed.

**And with that, the two wizards stepped one after the other into the bright green fire and vanished.**

"That was the end of the chapter." said Hermione


	3. Chapter 3

"Who wants to read next?" asked Hermione

"I'll read." said Remus taking the book

**"Spinner's End," **

Severus made a chocking noise and when everyone gave him funny looks he cleared his throat and said "I live there."

The look on their faces said that they understood until the twins turned to Harry and yelled together "What in the name of Merlin's ass are you doing there?"

"Fred! George! Language!" yelled Mrs. Weasley while everyone else laughed.

"Oi guys sensitive hearing here!" Remus yelled, covering his ears.

**Many miles away the chilly mist that had pressed against the Prime Minister's windows drifted over a dirty river that wound between overgrown, rubbish-strewn banks. An immense chimney, relic of a disused mill, reared up, shadowy and ominous.**

"What a lovely place to live!" Fred said cheerfully.

Everyone laughed apart from Severus who was glaring at Fred, who didn't seem to notice.

**There was no sound apart from the whisper of the black water and no sign of life apart from a scrawny fox that had slunk down the bank to nose hopefully at some old fish-and-chip wrappings in the tall grass.**

**But then, with a very faint pop, a slim, hooded figure appeared out of thin air on the edge of the river. The fox froze, wary eyes fixed upon this strange new phenomenon. The figure seemed to take its bearings for a few moments, then set off with light, quick strides, its long cloak rustling over the grass.**

**With a second and louder pop, another hooded figure materialized.**

**"Wait!"**

**The harsh cry startled the fox, now crouching almost flat in the undergrowth. It leapt from its hiding place and up the bank. There was a flash of green light, a yelp, and the fox fell back to the ground, dead. **

"Hey!" yelled Charlie, he was a true animal lover "The fox didn't do anything wrong. That's animal abuse!"

Everyone looked at him with blank looks on their faces until he replied "What? It is!"

**The second figure turned over the animal with its toe.**

**"Just a fox," said a woman's voice dismissively from under the hood. "I thought perhaps an Auror — Cissy, wait**

"What!" yelled Draco and Sirius together

"Wait you know my mum?" Draco asked Sirius, looking surprised.

"Um, er, yeah, she's my cousin." He said

"Oh, right" Draco said "Wait! We're family?"

"Yeah" Sirius said slowly "You're also related to Tonks. I thought your mum would have told you that." At the look on Draco's face he concluded that she didn't tell him.

**But her quarry, who had paused and looked back at the flash of light, was already scrambling up the bank the fox had just fallen down.**

**"Cissy — Narcissa — listen to me —"**

**The second woman caught the first and seized her arm, but the other wrenched it away.**

**"Go back, Bella!"**

"What's that Bitch doing there?" This surprisingly came from Neville. Everyone looked at him.

"Hey that's my aunt you know!" yelled Draco suddenly

"So? She's still a Bitch." asked Neville with a bitter edge to his voice.

Draco glared at him and everyone tried to cover up their chuckles. Tried... and failed miserable.

**"You must listen to me!"**

**"I've listened already. I've made my decision. Leave me alone!"**

Sirius raised his eyebrows and said "What happened to her?"

**The woman named Narcissa gained the top of the bank, where a line of old railings separated the river from a narrow, cobbled street. The other woman, Bella, followed at once. Side by side they stood looking across the road at the rows and rows of dilapidated brick houses, their windows dull and blind in the darkness.**

**"He lives here?" asked Bella in a voice of contempt. "Here? In this Muggle dunghill? We must be the first of our kind ever to set foot —"**

**But Narcissa was not listening; she had slipped through a gap in the rusty railings and was already hurrying across the road.**

**"Cissy, wait!"**

**Bella followed, her cloak streaming behind, and saw Narcissa darting through an alley between the houses into a second, almost identical street. Some of the streetlamps were broken; the two women were running between patches of light and deep darkness. The pursuer caught up with her prey just as she turned another corner, this time succeeding in catching hold of her arm and swinging her around so that they faced each other **

**"Cissy, you must not do this, you can't trust him —"**

**"The Dark Lord trusts him, doesn't he?"**

**"The Dark Lord is… I believe… mistaken," Bella panted,**

"Wow!" Sirius said dumbstruck "Never thought I'd hear that come out of her mouth."

Everyone looked at him. When he noticed the looks he said "What? She's like in love with Voldemort"

"No kidding!" Draco muttered. When everyone shifted their looks to him he said "I heard my mum tell a story about that to my dad once. It was horrible!"

**and her eyes gleamed momentarily under her hood as she looked around to check that they were indeed alone. "In any case, we were told not to speak of the plan to anyone. This is a betrayal of the Dark Lord's —"**

**"Let go, Bella!" snarled Narcissa,**

Everyone was still too shocked from her behaviour to comment.

**and she drew a wand from beneath her cloak, holding it threateningly in the other's face. Bella merely laughed**

**"Cissy, your own sister? You wouldn't —"**

**"There is nothing I wouldn't do anymore!" Narcissa breathed, **

Draco frowned at that. What had gotten into her?

**a note of hysteria in her voice, and as she brought down the wand like a knife, there was another flash of light. Bella let go of her sister's arm as though burned.**

**"Narcissa!"**

**But Narcissa had rushed ahead. Rubbing her hand, her pursuer followed again, keeping her distance now, as they moved deeper into the deserted labyrinth of brick houses. At last, Narcissa hurried up a street named Spinner's End, over which the towering mill chimney seemed to hover like a giant admonitory finger. Her footsteps echoed on the cobbles as she passed boarded and broken windows, until she reached the very last house, where a dim light glimmered through the curtains in a downstairs room.**

**She had knocked on the door before Bella, cursing under her breath, had caught up. Together they stood waiting, panting slightly, breathing in the smell of the dirty river that was carried to them on the night breeze. After a few seconds, they heard movement behind the door and it opened a crack. A sliver of a man could be seen looking out at them, a man with long black hair parted in curtains around a sallow face and black eyes.**

**Narcissa threw back her hood. She was so pale that she seemed to shine in the darkness; the long blonde hair streaming down her back gave her the look of a drowned person**

This only concerned Draco further. What happened to his mother?

**"Narcissa!" said the man, opening the door a little wider, so that the light fell upon her and her sister too. "What a pleasant surprise!**

Severus snorted at that. He hated surprises.

**"Severus," she said in a strained whisper. "May I speak to you? It's urgent."**

**"But of course."**

**He stood back to allow her to pass him into the house. Her still-hooded sister followed without invitation.**

"How polite." sniffed Minnie.

**"Snape," she said curtly as she passed him.**

**"Bellatrix," he replied, his thin mouth curling into a slightly mocking smile as he closed the door with a snap behind them.**

Everyone smiled at that. Even Snape couldn't stand her.

**They had stepped directly into a tiny sitting room, which had the feeling of a dark, padded cell. The walls were completely covered in books, most of them bound in old black or brown leather; a threadbare sofa, an old armchair, and a rickety table stood grouped together in a pool of dim light cast by a candle-filled lamp hung from the ceiling. The place had an air of neglect, as though it was not usually inhabited.**

**Snape gestured Narcissa to the sofa. She threw off her cloak, cast it aside, and sat down, staring at her white and trembling hands clasped in her lap. Bellatrix lowered her hood more slowly. Dark as her sister was fair, with heavily lidded eyes and a strong jaw, she did not take her gaze from Snape as she moved to stand behind Narcissa.**

**"So, what can I do for you?" Snape asked, settling himself in the armchair opposite the two sisters.**

**"We… we are alone, aren't we?" Narcissa asked quietly.**

**"Yes, of course. Well, Wormtail's here, **

"What did I do to deserve that?" Said Severus

**but we're not counting vermin, are we?"**

Everyone laughed and congratulated Snape for the comment but no one laughed as much as Remus and Sirius.

**He pointed his wand at the wall of books behind him and with a bang, a hidden door flew open, revealing a narrow staircase upon which a small man stood frozen.**

**"As you have clearly realized, Wormtail, we have guests," said Snape lazily.**

**The man crept, hunchbacked, down the last few steps and moved into the room. He had small, watery eyes, a pointed nose, and wore an unpleasant simper. His left hand was caressing his right, which looked as though it was encased in a bright silver glove.**

**"Narcissa!" he said, in a squeaky voice. "And Bellatrix! How charming —"**

Everyone snorted at that. Someone muttered "Suck up." But it was too quiet to make out who said it.

**"Wormtail will get us drinks, if you'd like them," said Snape. "And then he will return to his bedroom."**

**Wormtail winced as though Snape had thrown something at him.**

**"I am not your servant!" he squeaked, avoiding Snape's eye.**

**"Really? I was under the impression that the Dark Lord placed you here to assist me."**

**"To assist, yes — but not to make you drinks and — and clean your house!" "I had no idea, Wormtail, that you were craving more dangerous assignments," said Snape silkily. "This can be easily arranged: I shall speak to the Dark Lord —"**

Sirius and Remus smiled vindictively. They were getting fond of Snape's way to make Wormtail scared.

No one commented on the Dark lord phrase they knew now that he was on the light side.

**"I can speak to him myself if I want to!"**

**"Of course you can," said Snape, sneering. "But in the meantime, bring us drinks. Some of the elf-made wine will do."**

**Wormtail hesitated for a moment, looking as though he might argue, but then turned and headed through a second hidden door. They heard banging and a clinking of glasses. Within seconds he was back, bearing a dusty bottle and three glasses upon a tray. He dropped these on the rickety table and scurried from their presence, slamming the book-covered door behind him.**

**Snape poured out three glasses of blood red wine and handed two of them to the sisters. Narcissa murmured a word of thanks, whilst Bellatrix said nothing, but continued to glower at Snape. This did not seem to discompose him; on the contrary, he looked rather amused.**

Everyone laughed. They certainly liked Snape's way of handling Bellatrix.

**"The Dark Lord," he said, raising his glass and draining it.**

**The sisters copied him. Snape refilled their glasses. As Narcissa took her second drink she said in a rush, "Severus, I'm sorry to come here like this, but I had to see you. I think you are the only one who can help me —"**

**Snape held up a hand to stop her, then pointed his wand again at the concealed staircase door. There was a loud bang and a squeal, followed by the sound of Wormtail scurrying back up the stairs.**

They all laughed again. Served him right. The filthy rat!

**"My apologies," said Snape. "He has lately taken to listening at doors, I don't know what he means by it… You were saying, Narcissa?"**

Everyone leaned forward wanting to know why she was there.

**She took a great, shuddering breath and started again.**

**"Severus, I know I ought not to be here, I have been told to say nothing to anyone, but —"**

**"Then you ought to hold your tongue!" snarled Bellatrix. "Particularly in present company!"**

"Shut up!" Draco yelled. When everyone looked at him he said "I want to know why my mum is acting so weird!"

**'"Present company'?" repeated Snape sardonically. "And what am I to understand by that, Bellatrix?"**

**"That I don't trust you, Snape, as you very well know!"**

**Narcissa let out a noise that might have been a dry sob and covered her face with her hands.**

Everyone looked worried. Many may not know her but they were still worried for what would have happened that had her acting like that.

**Snape set his glass down upon the table and sat back again, his hands upon the arms of his chair, smiling into Bellatrix's glowering face**.

They snorted again. Snape certainly had a way to make Bellatrix pissed.

"**Narcissa, I think we ought to hear what Bellatrix is bursting to say; it will save tedious interruptions. Well, continue, Bellatrix," said Snape. "Why is it that you do not trust me?"**

**A hundred reasons!" she said loudly, striding out from behind the sofa to slam her glass upon the table. "Where to start! Where were you when the Dark Lord fell? Why did you never make any attempt to find him when he vanished? What have you been doing all these years that you've lived in Dumbledore's pocket? Why did you stop the Dark Lord procuring the Philosopher's Stone? Why did you not return at once when the Dark Lord was reborn? Where were you a few weeks ago when we battled to retrieve the prophecy for the Dark Lord? And why, Snape, is Harry Potter still alive, when you have had him at your mercy for five years?" She paused, her chest rising and falling rapidly, the color high in her cheeks. Behind her, Narcissa sat motionless, her face still hidden in her hands.**

**Snape smiled.**

"Snape. Smiled? Someone take a picture, Quick!" yelled the twins.

They all laughed even Snape.

"**Before I answer you — oh yes, Bellatrix, I am going to answer! You can carry my words back to the others who whisper behind my back, and carry false tales of my treachery to the Dark Lord! Before I answer you, I say, let me ask a question in turn. Do you really think that the Dark Lord has not asked me each and every one of those questions? And do you really think that, had I not been able to give satisfactory answers, I would be sitting here talking to you?"**

**She hesitated.**

**"I know he believes you, but…"**

**"You think he is mistaken? Or that I have somehow hoodwinked him? Fooled the Dark Lord, the greatest wizard, the most accomplished Legilimens the world has ever seen?"**

Everyone snorted. They all knew Snape was lying now.

**Bellatrix said nothing, but looked, for the first time, a little discomfited. Snape did not press the point. He picked up his drink again, sipped it, and continued, "You ask where I was when the Dark Lord fell. I was where he had ordered me to be, at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, because he wished me to spy upon Albus Dumbledore. You know, I presume, that it was on the Dark Lord's orders that I took up the post?"**

**She nodded almost imperceptibly and then opened her mouth, but Snape forestalled her.**

**"You ask why I did not attempt to find him when he vanished. For the same reason that Avery, Yaxley, the Carrows, Greyback, (a growl escaped from Remus at the name.) Lucius"— he inclined his head slightly to Narcissa — "and many others did not attempt to find him. I believed him finished. I am not proud of it, I was wrong, but there it is… If he had not forgiven we who lost faith at that time, he would have very few followers left."**

**"He'd have me!" said Bellatrix passionately. "I, who spent many years in Azkaban for him!"**

**"Yes, indeed, most admirable," said Snape in a bored voice. "Of course , you weren't a lot of use to him in prison, but the gesture was undoubtedly fine —"**

Everyone laughed

"That is going to make her seriously pissed!" said George with a mischievous grin.

**"Gesture!" she shrieked; in her fury she looked slightly mad. **

"Slightly? I'll be more surprised if she ever looked normal!" said Sirius.

**"While I endured the dementors, you remained at Hogwarts, comfortably playing Dumbledore's pet!"**

**"Not quite," said Snape calmly. "He wouldn't give me the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, you know. Seemed to think it might, ah, bring about a relapse… tempt me into my old ways."**

**"This was your sacrifice for the Dark Lord, not to teach your favorite subject?" she jeered. "Why did you stay there all that time, Snape? Still spying on Dumbledore for a master you believed dead?"**

**"Hardly," said Snape, "although the Dark Lord is pleased that I never deserted my post: I had sixteen years of information on Dumbledore to give him when he returned, a rather more useful welcome-back present than endless reminiscences of how unpleasant Azkaban is…"**

Everyone laughed at that. That certainly would make her feel useless.

**"But you stayed —"**

**"Yes, Bellatrix, I stayed," said Snape, betraying a hint of impatience for the first time. **

"Now you're getting impatient?" Petunia asked disbelieving, making some people jump because they forgot she was there. "If I ever meet that woman I would be lucky to get through her first sentence before breaking!"

"If you ever meet that woman you would be lucky to be alive!" retorted Snape.

"Fair call there, Snape." Said Sirius, who then went to look shocked at agreeing with Snape.

**"I had a comfortable job that I preferred to a stint in Azkaban. They were rounding up the Death Eaters, you know. Dumbledore's protection kept me out of jail; it was most convenient and I used it. I repeat: The Dark Lord does not complain that I stayed, so I do not see why you do.**

**"I think you next wanted to know," he pressed on, a little more loudly, for Bellatrix showed every sign of interrupting, "why I stood between the Dark Lord and the Philosopher's Stone. That is easily answered. He did not know whether he could trust me. He thought, like you, that I had turned from faithful Death Eater to Dumbledore's stooge. He was in a pitiable condition, very weak, sharing the body of a mediocre wizard. He did not dare reveal himself to a former ally if that ally might turn him over to Dumbledore or the Ministry. I deeply regret that he did not trust me. He would have returned to power three years sooner. As it was, I saw only greedy and unworthy Quirrell attempting to steal the stone and, I admit, I did all I could to thwart him."**

**Bellatrix's mouth twisted as though she had taken an unpleasant dose of medicine.**

**"But you didn't return when he came back, you didn't fly back to him at once when you felt the Dark Mark burn —"**

"Okay, she really is stupid?" Said Hermione "She knows you're a spy for v- Voldemort, I mean seriously!"

**"Correct. I returned two hours later. I returned on Dumbledore's orders."**

**"On Dumbledore's —?" she began, in tones of outrage.**

**"Think!" said Snape, impatient again. "Think! By waiting two hours, just two hours, I ensured that I could remain at Hogwarts as a spy! By allowing Dumbledore to think that I was only returning to the Dark Lord's side because I was ordered to, I have been able to pass information on Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix ever since! Consider, Bellatrix: The Dark Mark had been growing stronger for months. I knew he must be about to return, all the Death Eaters knew! I had plenty of time to think about what I wanted to do, to plan my next move, to escape like Karkaroff, didn't I?**

**"The Dark Lord's initial displeasure at my lateness vanished entirely, I assure you, when I explained that I remained faithful, although Dumbledore thought I was his man. Yes, the Dark Lord thought that I had left him forever, but he was wrong."**

**"But what use have you been?" sneered Bellatrix. "What useful information have we had from you?"**

**"My information has been conveyed directly to the Dark Lord," said Snape. "If he chooses not to share it with you —"**

**"He shares everything with me!" said Bellatrix, firing up at once. "He calls me his most loyal, his most faithful —"**

"Servant" finished Sirius.

**"Does he?" said Snape, his voice delicately inflected to suggest his disbelief. "Does he still, after the fiasco at the Ministry?"**

"What fiasco? Nothing has happened! Right?" said Mrs. Weasley frantically to her husband.

"No nothing's happened Molly!" Mr. Weasley said. "Yet." He muttered to himself.

**"That was not my fault!" said Bellatrix, flushing. "The Dark Lord has, in the past, entrusted me with his most precious — if Lucius hadn't —"**

"Don't you dare" Said Draco "Don't you dare blame my father!"

Remus looked at him and said "weird!"

"What's weird?" asked Tonks. To answer her question Remus continued reading.

**"Don't you dare — don't you dare blame my husband!" said Narcissa,**

"Okay, that is really weird" said Tonks.

**in a low and deadly voice, looking up at her sister.**

**"There is no point apportioning blame," said Snape smoothly. "What is done, is done."**

**"But not by you!" said Bellatrix furiously. "No, you were once again absent while the rest of us ran dangers, were you not, Snape?"**

**"My orders were to remain behind," said Snape. "Perhaps you disagree with the Dark Lord, perhaps you think that Dumbledore would not have noticed if I had joined forces with the Death Eaters to fight the Order of the Phoenix? And — forgive me — you speak of dangers… you were facing six teenagers, were you not?"**

"BURN!" yelled the twins and Sirius

**"They were joined, as you very well know, by half of the Order before long!" snarled Bellatrix. "And, while we are on the subject of the Order, you still claim you cannot reveal the whereabouts of their headquarters, don't you?"**

**"I am not the Secret-Keeper; I cannot speak the name of the place. You understand how the enchantment works, I think? The Dark Lord is satisfied with the information I have passed him on the Order. It led, as perhaps you have guessed, to the recent capture and murder of Emmeline Vance, **

Everyone bowed their heads sadly at that while Mrs. Weasley cried silently.

**and it certainly helped dispose of Sirius Black, though I give you full credit for finishing him off."**

"What! That f****g bitch killed me?" Sirius yelled horrified "Please tell me someone kills her for me."

Suddenly there was a note in his lap. He grinned as he finished it.

"What did it say?" asked Harry his godfather.

Grinning he read the note.

_Dear Sirius,_

_Since we found a way to send notes to you guys (like ten minutes ago) we wanted a question we COULD answer. So we sent you this note to tell you that Bellabitch (learned that one from future Neville) does get killed in one of these books. I cannot tell you when or by who but I hope you enjoyed this piece of information._

_Love, J.S.P _

"Okay I am definitely going to call her that from now on." Neville, Sirius and nearly everyone in the room vowed. Then everyone in the rooms started laughing. Once they calmed down enough Remus started reading again.

**He inclined his head and toasted her. Her expression did not soften.**

**"You are avoiding my last question, Snape. Harry Potter. You could have killed him at any point in the past five years. You have not done it. Why?"**

**"Have you discussed this matter with the Dark Lord?" asked Snape.**

**"He… lately, we… I am asking you, Snape!"**

"Oh, ooh, this is getting good she's nervous now!" said Sirius.

"If anyone else interrupts again I will curse you into oblivion!" yelled Remus looking at everyone with a scary look. Everyone nodded looking scared. They didn't know that Remus could be so frightening.

**"If I had murdered Harry Potter, the Dark Lord could not have used his blood to regenerate, making him invincible —"**

**"You claim you foresaw his use of the boy!" she jeered.**

**"I do not claim it; I had no idea of his plans; I have already confessed that I thought the Dark Lord dead. I am merely trying to explain why the Dark Lord is not sorry that Potter survived, at least until a year ago…"**

**"But why did you keep him alive?"**

**"Have you not understood me? It was only Dumbledore's protection that was keeping me out of Azkaban! Do you disagree that murdering his favorite student might have turned him against me? But there was more to it than that. I should remind you that when Potter first arrived at Hogwarts there were still many stories circulating about him, rumors that he himself was a great Dark wizard, which was how he had survived the Dark Lord's attack. Indeed, many of the Dark Lords old followers thought Potter might be a standard around which we could all rally once more. I was curious, I admit it, and not at all inclined to murder him the moment he set foot in the castle.**

**"Of course, it became apparent to me very quickly that he had no extraordinary talent at all. He has fought his way out of a number of tight corners by a simple combination of sheer luck and more talented friends. **

**He is mediocre to the last degree, though as obnoxious and self-satisfied as was his father before him. I have done my utmost to have him thrown out of Hogwarts, where I believe he scarcely belongs, but kill him, or allow him to be killed in front of me? I would have been a fool to risk it with Dumbledore close at hand."**

**"And through all this we are supposed to believe Dumbledore has never suspected you?" asked Bellatrix. "He has no idea of your true allegiance, he trusts you implicitly still?"**

**"I have played my part well," said Snape. "And you overlook Dumbledore's greatest weakness: He has to believe the best of people. I spun him a tale of deepest remorse when I joined his staff, fresh from my Death Eater days, and he embraced me with open arms — though, as I say, never allowing me nearer the Dark Arts than he could help. Dumbledore has been a great wizard — oh yes, he has," (for Bellatrix had made a scathing noise), "the Dark Lord acknowledges it. I am pleased to say, however, that Dumbledore is growing old. The duel with the Dark Lord last month shook him. He has since sustained a serious injury because his reactions are slower than they once were. But through all these years, he has never stopped trusting Severus Snape, and therein lies my great value to the Dark Lord."**

**Bellatrix still looked unhappy, though she appeared unsure how best to attack Snape next. Taking advantage of her silence, Snape turned to her sister.**

**"Now… you came to ask me for help, Narcissa?"**

**Narcissa looked up at him, her face eloquent with despair.**

**"Yes, Severus. I — I think you are the only one who can help me, I have nowhere else to turn. Lucius is in jail and…"**

**She closed her eyes and two large tears seeped from beneath her eyelids.**

**"The Dark Lord has forbidden me to speak of it," Narcissa continued, her eyes still closed. "He wishes none to know of the plan. It is… very secret. But —"**

**"If he has forbidden it, you ought not to speak," said Snape at once. "The Dark Lord's word is law."**

**Narcissa gasped as though he had doused her with cold water. Bellatrix looked satisfied for the first time since she had entered the house.**

**"There!" she said triumphantly to her sister. "Even Snape says so: You were told not to talk, so hold your silence!"**

**But Snape had gotten to his feet and strode to the small window, peered through the curtains at the deserted street, then closed them again with a jerk. He turned around to face Narcissa, frowning.**

**"It so happens that I know of the plan," he said in a low voice. "I am one of the few the Dark Lord has told. Nevertheless, had I not been in on the secret, Narcissa, you would have been guilty of great treachery to the Dark Lord."**

**"I thought you must know about it!" said Narcissa, breathing more freely. "He trusts you so, Severus…"**

**"You know about the plan?" said Bellatrix, her fleeting expression of satisfaction replaced by a look of outrage. "You know?"**

**"Certainly," said Snape. "But what help do you require, Narcissa? If you are imagining I can persuade the Dark Lord to change his mind, I am afraid there is no hope, none at all."**

**"Severus," she whispered, tears sliding down her pale cheeks. "My son… my only son…"**

**"Draco should be proud," said Bellatrix indifferently. "The Dark Lord is granting him a great honor. And I will say this for Draco: I can see he isn't shrinking away from his duty, he seems glad of a chance to prove himself, excited at the prospect —"**

**Narcissa began to cry in earnest, gazing beseechingly all the while at Snape.**

**"That's because he is sixteen and has no idea what lies in store! Why, Severus? Why my son? It is too dangerous! This is vengeance for Lucius's mistake, I know it!"**

**Snape said nothing. He looked away from the sight of her tears as though they were indecent, but he could not pretend not to hear her.**

**"That's why he's chosen Draco, isn't it?" she persisted. "To punish Lucius?"**

**"If Draco succeeds," said Snape, still looking away from her, "he will be honored above all others."**

**"But he won't succeed!" sobbed Narcissa. "How can he, when the Dark Lord himself —?"**

**Bellatrix gasped; Narcissa seemed to lose her nerve.**

**"I only meant… that nobody has yet succeeded… Severus… please… You are, you have always been, Draco's favorite teacher… You are Lucius's old friend… I beg you… You are the Dark Lord's favourite, his most trusted advisor… Will you speak to him, persuade him —?"**

**"The Dark Lord will not be persuaded, and I am not stupid enough to attempt it," said Snape flatly. "I cannot pretend that the Dark Lord is not angry with Lucius. Lucius was supposed to be in charge. He got himself captured, along with how many others, and failed to retrieve the prophecy into the bargain. Yes, the Dark Lord is angry, Narcissa, very angry indeed."**

**"Then I am right, he has chosen Draco in revenge!" choked Narcissa. "He does not mean him to succeed, he wants him to be killed trying!"**

**When Snape said nothing, Narcissa seemed to lose what little self-restraint she still possessed. Standing up, she staggered to Snape and seized the front of his robes. Her face close to his, her tears falling onto his chest, she gasped, "You could do it. You could do it instead of Draco, Severus. You would succeed, of course you would, and he would reward you beyond all of us -"**

**Snape caught hold of her wrists and removed her clutching hands. Looking down into her tearstained face, he said slowly, "He intends me to do it in the end, I think. But he is determined that Draco should try first. You see, in the unlikely event that Draco succeeds, I shall be able to remain at Hogwarts a little longer, fulfilling my useful role as spy."**

**"In other words, it doesn't matter to him if Draco is killed!"**

**"The Dark Lord is very angry," repeated Snape quietly. "He failed to hear the prophecy. You know as well as I do, Narcissa, that he does not forgive easily."**

**She crumpled, falling at his feet, sobbing and moaning on the floor.**

**"My only son… my only son…"**

Draco started looking like a ghost. What happened that could possibly make her so upset.

**"You should be proud!" said Bellatrix ruthlessly. "If I had sons, I would be glad to give them up to the service of the Dark Lord!"**

"Yeah we're all glad you don't have kids." Someone said but it was to quiet to make out who it was. Remus glared at every single one of them before turning his eyes back on the book.

**Narcissa gave a little scream of despair and clutched at her long blonde hair. Snape stooped, seized her by the arms, lifted her up, and steered her back onto the sofa. He then poured her more wine and forced the glass into her hand.**

**"Narcissa, that's enough. Drink this. Listen to me."**

**She quieted a little; slopping wine down herself, she took a shaky sip.**

**"It might be possible… for me to help Draco."**

**She sat up, her face paper-white, her eyes huge.**

**"Severus — oh, Severus — you would help him? Would you look after him, see he comes to no harm?"**

**"I can try."**

**She flung away her glass; it skidded across the table as she slid off the sofa into a kneeling position at Snape's feet, seized his hand in both of hers, and pressed her lips to it.**

**"If you are there to protect him… Severus, will you swear it? Will you make the Unbreakable Vow?"**

**"The Unbreakable Vow?"**

"Yes Petunia?" asked Remus looking at the woman who had raised her hand.

"What is The Unbreakable Vow?" she asked meekly and curiously.

"Well" he said "It's a vow and you can't break it. If you do you die."

"Oh" she responded looking at Severus fearfully.

**Snape's expression was blank, unreadable. Bellatrix, however, let out a cackle of triumphant laughter.**

**"Aren't you listening, Narcissa? Oh, he'll try, I'm sure… The usual empty words, the usual slithering out of action… oh, on the Dark Lord's orders, of course!"**

**Snape did not look at Bellatrix. His black eyes were fixed upon Narcissa's tear-filled blue ones as she continued to clutch his hand.**

**"Certainly, Narcissa, I shall make the Unbreakable Vow," he said quietly. "Perhaps your sister will consent to be our Bonder."**

Everyone gasped and looked at Severus as if he was crazy. The man himself was openly gaping at the book looking very pale.

**Bellatrix's mouth fell open. Snape lowered himself so that he was kneeling opposite Narcissa. Beneath Bellatrix's astonished gaze, they grasped right hands.**

**"You will need your wand, Bellatrix," said Snape coldly.**

**She drew it, still looking astonished.**

**"And you will need to move a little closer," he said.**

**She stepped forward so that she stood over them, and placed the tip of her wand on their linked hands.**

**Narcissa spoke.**

**"Will you, Severus, watch over my son, Draco, as he attempts to fulfill the Dark Lord's wishes?"**

**"I will," said Snape.**

**A thin tongue of brilliant flame issued from the wand and wound its way around their hands like a red-hot wire.**

**"And will you, to the best of your ability, protect him from harm?"**

**"I will," said Snape.**

**A second tongue of flame shot from the wand and interlinked with the first, making a fine, glowing chain.**

**"And, should it prove necessary… if it seems Draco will fail…" whispered Narcissa (Snape's hand twitched within hers, but he did not draw away), "will you carry out the deed that the Dark Lord has ordered Draco to perform?"**

**There was a moment's silence. Bellatrix watched, her wand upon their clasped hands, her eyes wide.**

**"I will," said Snape.**

**Bellatrix's astounded face glowed red in the blaze of a third unique flame, which shot from the wand, twisted with the others, and bound itself thickly around their clasped hands, like a fiery snake.**

"Ok, you can talk that was the end of the chapter" said Remus

"What I want to know is what Draco has to do that is so terrifying." Said Hermione.

Everyone looked curious for a few seconds until Remus broke the silence saying "Who wants to read next?"


	4. Chapter 4

"I'll read." said Neville. Remus passed him the book and he started to read

**"Will and Won't" **

"Um... what's that?" Sirius said.

"Don't know" Harry said.

**Harry Potter was snoring loudly. **

"Good introduction!" the twins snickered. Harry glared at them both and they immediately stopped laughing.

**He had been sitting in a chair beside his bedroom window for the best part of four hours, staring out at the darkening street, and had finally fallen asleep with one side of his face pressed against the cold windowpane, his glasses askew and his mouth wide open. The misty fog his breath had left on the window sparkled in the orange glare of the streetlamp outside, and the artificial light drained his face of all colour, so that he looked ghostly beneath his shock of untidy black hair.**

**The room was strewn with various possessions and a good smattering of rubbish. Owl feathers, apple cores, and sweet wrappers littered the floor, a number of spell books lay higgledy-piggledy among the tangled robes on his bed, and a mess of newspapers sat in a puddle of light on his desk. **

"Your rooms a mess," stated Ron.

All the Weasley's looked weirdly at him until finally Ginny broke the silence by saying "Your room is worse Ronald Bilius Weasley!"

**The headline of one blared:**

_**HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE?**_

"The chosen one?" Sirius said. "Really?"

_**Rumours continue to fly about the mysterious recent disturbance at the Ministry of Magic, during which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted once more.**_

"Finally!" cried Tonks "They finally came to their senses."

_**"We're not allowed to talk about it, don't ask me anything" said one agitated Obliviator, who refused to give his name as he left the Ministry last night.**_

_**Nevertheless, highly placed sources within the Ministry have confirmed that the disturbance centered on the fabled Hall of Prophecy.**_

The order shared worried glances.

_**Though Ministry spokeswizards have hitherto refused even to confirm the existence of such a place, a growing number of the Wizarding community believe that the Death Eaters now serving sentences in Azkaban for trespass and attempted theft were attempting to steal a prophecy.**_

Several members of the order gasped.

_**The nature of that prophecy is unknown, although speculation is rife that it concerns Harry Potter, the only person ever known to have survived the Killing Curse, and who is also known to have been at the Ministry on the night in question. Some are going so far as to call Potter "the Chosen One," believing that the prophecy names him as the only one who will be able to rid us of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.**_

_**The current whereabouts of the prophecy, if it exists, are unknown, although {ctd. page2, column 5)**_

**A second newspaper lay beside die first. This one bore the headline:**

_**SCRIMGEOUR SUCCEEDS FUDGE**_

**Most of this front page was taken up with a large black-and-white picture of a man with a lion like mane of thick hair and a rather ravaged face. The picture was moving — the man was waving at the ceiling.**

_**Rufus Scrimgeour, previously Head of the Auror office in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, has succeeded Cornelius Fudge as Minister of Magic. The appointment has largely been greeted with enthusiasm by the Wizarding community, though rumours of a rift between the new Minister and Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, surfaced within hours of Scrimgeour taking office.**_

_**Scrimgeours representatives admitted that he had met with Dumbledore at once upon taking possession of the top job, but refused to comment on the topics under discussion. Albus Dumbledore is known to (ctd. page 3, column 2)**_

**To the left of this paper sat another, which had been folded so that a story bearing the title ministry guarantees students' safety was visible.**

_**Newly appointed Minister of Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, spoke today of the tough new measures taken by his Ministry to ensure the safety of students returning to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this autumn.**_

_**"For obvious reasons, the Ministry will not be going into detail about its stringent new security plans," said the Minister, although an insider confirmed that measures include defensive spells and charms, a complex array of countercurses, and a small task force of Aurors dedicated solely to the protection of Hogwarts School.**_

_**Most seem reassured by the new Minister's tough stand on student safety. Said Mrs. Augusta Longbottom, "My grandson, Neville — a good friend of Harry Potter's, incidentally, who fought the Death Eaters alongside him at the Ministry in June and —**_

"Why would we go to the ministry?" Asked Neville

"I have no idea." said Ron while the members of the order looked worried.

**But the rest of this story was obscured by the large birdcage, **

**standing on top of it. Inside it was a magnificent snowy owl. Her amber eyes surveyed the room imperiously, her head swiveling occasionally to gaze at her snoring master. Once or twice she clicked her beak impatiently, but Harry was too deeply asleep to hear her.**

"Why don't you let her out, Harry?" Ginny asked, giving him a pointed look.

"I don't know maybe I'm supposed to be leaving." Harry said.

**A large trunk stood in the very middle of the room. Its lid was open; it looked expectant; yet it was almost empty but for a residue of old underwear, sweets, empty ink bottles, and broken quills that coated the very bottom. Nearby, on the floor, lay a purple leaflet emblazoned with the words:**

— — _**ISSUED ON BEHALF OF — —**_

_**The Ministry of Magic**_

_**PROTECTING YOUR HOME AND FAMILY AGAINST DARK FORCES**_

"Yeah, we got those all the time too." Remus said.

"Lily didn't get them." Petunia remarked from her seat next to Snape.

"I guess they didn't send them to Muggleborns." Mr. Weasley frowned. "But they're in just as much danger if not more, that doesn't seem right."

"I guess they figured that our parents can't use magic so there isn't really a point to giving us them," Hermione said.

"You still needed to be prepared." He said and Hermione just shrugged.

_**The Wizarding community is currently under threat from an organization calling itself the Death Eaters. Observing the following simple security guidelines will help protect you, your family, and your home from attack.**_

_**1. You are advised not to leave the house alone.**_

_**2. Particular care should be taken during the hours of darkness. Wherever possible, arrange to complete journeys before night has fallen.**_

_**3. Review the security arrangements around your house, making sure that all family members are aware of emergency measures such as Shield and Disillusionment Charms, and, in the case of underage family members, Side-Along-Apparition.**_

_**4. Agree on security questions with close friends and family so as to detect Death Eaters masquerading as others by use of the Polyjuice Potion (see page 2).**_

_**5. Should you feel that a family member, colleague, friend, or neighbour is acting in a strange manner, contact the Magical Law Enforcement Squad at once. They may have been put under the Imperius Curse (see page 4).**_

_**6. Should the Dark Mark appear over any dwelling place or other building, DO NOT ENTER, but contact the Auror office immediately.**_

_**7. Unconfirmed sightings suggest that the Death Eaters may now be using Inferi**_

"What're Inferi?" asked Harry.

"It's a dead body controlled by a dark wizard" said Severus. Harry nodded in understanding as the rest of the teens who didn't know what Inferi were shuddered.

_**(See page 10). Any sighting of an Inferius, or encounter with same, should be reported to the Ministry IMMEDIATELY.**_

**Harry grunted in his sleep and his face slid down the window an inch or so, making his glasses still more lopsided, but he did not wake up. An alarm clock, repaired by Harry several years ago, ticked loudly on the sill, showing one minute to eleven. Beside it, held in place by Harry's relaxed hand, was a piece of parchment covered in thin, slanting writing. Harry had read this letter so often since its arrival three days ago that although it had been delivered in a tightly furled scroll, it now lay quite flat.**

_**Dear Harry,**_

_**If it is convenient to you, I shall call at number four, Privet Drive this coming Friday at eleven p.m. to escort you to the Burrow, where you have been invited to spend the remainder of your school holidays.**_

_**If you are agreeable, I should also be glad of your assistance in a matter to which I hope to attend on the way to the Burrow. I shall explain this more fully when I see you.**_

_**Kindly send your answer by return of this owl. Hoping to see you this Friday,**_

_**I am yours most sincerely,**_

_**Albus Dumbledore**_

"Wow, Dumbledore wrote you," Ron said looking at Harry with wide eyes.

"He wants your help on a mission too," Ginny said astounded. "That is so cool." Harry didn't know why but this made him grin.

"Nothing dangerous I hope!" Mrs. Weasley said

**Though he already knew it by heart, Harry had been stealing glances at this missive every few minutes since seven o'clock that evening, when he had first taken up his position beside his bedroom window, which had a reasonable view of both ends of Privet Drive. **

"Don't you have anything better to do?" Ron asked.

"No, I really don't." Harry smiled. "I'm not sitting there I would probably be lying in my bed doing nothing."

**He knew it was pointless to keep rereading Dumbledore's words; Harry had sent back his "yes" with the delivering owl, as requested, and all he could do now was wait: Either Dumbledore was going to come, or he was not.**

"Of course I'm coming," Dumbledore said. "If I say I'm going to be there I will be. I'm quite sure of it"

"Um..." Harry said.

**But Harry had not packed. It just seemed too good to be true that he was going to be rescued from the Dursleys after a mere fortnight of their company. He could not shrug off the feeling that something was going to go wrong — his reply to Dumbledore's letter might have gone astray; Dumbledore could be prevented from collecting him; the letter might turn out not to be from Dumbledore at all, but a trick or joke or trap. Harry had not been able to face packing and then being let down and having to unpack again. The only gesture he had made to the possibility of a journey was to shut his snowy owl, Hedwig, safely in her cage.**

"You and your pessimistic thinking." Whispered Ginny in Harry's ear teasingly making him shudder.

**The minute hand on the alarm clock reached the number twelve and, at that precise moment, the street-lamp outside the window went out.**

"He's not even a second late."

**Harry awoke as though the sudden darkness were an alarm. Hastily straightening his glasses and unsticking his cheek from the glass, he pressed his nose against the window instead and squinted down at the pavement. A tall figure in a long, billowing cloak was walking up the garden path.**

**Harry jumped up as though he had received an electric shock, knocked over his chair, and started snatching anything and everything within reach from the floor and throwing it into the trunk. Then as he lobbed a set of robes, two spell books, and a packet of clasps across the room, the doorbell rang. Downstairs in the living room his Uncle Vernon shouted, "Who the blazes is calling at this time of night?"**

**Harry froze with a brass telescope in one hand and a pair of trainers in the other. He had completely forgotten to warn the Dursleys that Dumbledore might be coming. **

"Whoops!" the twins said as everyone else laughed. Even Petunia gave a slight smile

**Feeling both panicky and close to laughter, he clambered over the trunk and wrenched open his bedroom door in time to hear a deep voice say, "Good evening. You must be Mr. Dursley. I daresay Harry has told you I would be coming for him?"**

**hair and beard. Half-moon spectacles were perched on his crooked nose, and he was wearing a long black travelling cloak and a pointed hat. Vernon Dursley, whose moustache was quite as bushy as Dumbledore's, though black, and who was wearing a puce dressing gown, was staring at the visitor as though he could not believe his tiny eyes.**

**"Judging by your look of stunned disbelief, Harry did not warn you that I was coming," said Dumbledore pleasantly. "However, let us assume that you have invited me warmly into your house. It is unwise to linger overlong on doorsteps in these troubled times."**

**He stepped smartly over the threshold and closed the front door behind him.**

**"It is a long time since my last visit," said Dumbledore, peering down his crooked nose at Uncle Vernon. "I must say, your agapanthuses are flourishing."**

"Stop being polite to those gits." said Ron "No offence Mrs. Dursley"

"It's Petunia" She said "I won't be Mrs. Dursley for long anymore when I get out of here!" Severus could barely contain a smile not because Petunia would be single! No, just because he hated men who hit their wife's. Really that was the reason! Stop looking like that it's the truth! But still, Petunia will be single soon he thought to himself.

**Vernon Dursley said nothing at all. Harry did not doubt that speech would return to him, and soon — the vein pulsing in his uncles temple was reaching danger point — but something about Dumbledore seemed to have robbed him temporarily of breath. It might have been the blatant wizardishness of his appearance, but it might, too, have been that even Uncle Vernon could sense that here was a man whom it would be very difficult to bully.**

**"Ah, good evening Harry," said Dumbledore, looking up at him through his half-moon glasses with a most satisfied expression. "Excellent, excellent."**

**These words seemed to rouse Uncle Vernon. It was clear that as far as he was concerned, any man who could look at Harry and say "excellent" was a man with whom he could never see eye to eye.**

"And we really don't want to see eye to eye with you either."

**"I don't mean to be rude —" he began, in a tone that threatened rudeness in every syllable.**

**"— yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often," Dumbledore finished the sentence gravely. "Best to say nothing at all, my dear man. Ah, and this must be Petunia."**

"I really like Dumbledore's style," Neville laughed, as was everyone else, even Petunia.

**The kitchen door had opened, and there stood Harry's aunt, wearing rubber gloves and a housecoat over her nightdress, clearly halfway through her usual pre-bedtime wipe-down of all the kitchen surfaces. Her rather horsey face registered nothing but shock.**

"You're cleaning at eleven o'clock," Sirius scoffed.

"And what's a good cleaning time for you?" Petunia asked.

"Uhhm... er" he stumbled

"Hmm, that's what I thought." She replied cheekily, reminding Snape of something Lily said to him.

**"Albus Dumbledore," said Dumbledore, when Uncle Vernon failed to effect an introduction. "We have corresponded, of course." Harry thought this an odd way of reminding Aunt Petunia that he had once sent her an exploding letter, but Aunt Petunia did not challenge the term. **

"I don't think that's all I meant," Dumbledore said.

"What do you mean?" Sirius said. "Do you mean the letter you left with pup?"

"Pup? Really?" Harry asked. "What it makes sense! You know with the dog form and all."

"Oh, right now I get it but still Pup?"

**"And this must be your son, Dudley?"**

**Dudley had that moment peered round the living room door, his large, blond head rising out of the stripy collar of his pajamas looked oddly disembodied, his mouth gaping in astonishment and fear. Dumbledore waited a moment or two, apparently to see whether any of the Dursleys were going to say anything, but as the silence stretched on he smiled.**

**"Shall we assume that you have invited me into your sitting room?"**

**telescope and trainers, jumped the last few stairs and followed Dumbledore, who had settled himself in the armchair nearest the fire and was taking in the surroundings with an expression of benign interest. He looked quite extraordinarily out of place.**

**"Aren't — aren't we leaving, sir?" Harry asked anxiously.**

"Yes, please get out of there." To everyone's surprise it was Petunia who said it. After a few minutes Neville realised that he was supposed to be reading and continued.

**"Yes, indeed we are, but there are a few matters we need to discuss first," said Dumbledore. "And I would prefer not to do so in the open. We shall trespass upon your aunt and uncle's hospitality only a little longer."**

**"You will, will you?"**

**Vernon Dursley had entered the room, Petunia at his shoulder, and Dudley skulking behind them both.**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore simply, "I shall."**

**He drew his wand so rapidly that Harry barely saw it; with a casual flick, the sofa zoomed forward and knocked the knees out from under all three of the Dursleys so that they collapsed upon it in a heap. Another flick of the wand and the sofa zoomed back to its original position.**

"Couldn't he at least have made them go away," Sirius pouted.

"I guess not, but they won't do anything to cub while Dumbledore's there," Remus said."Cub? Really you too Lupin?"

"What it makes sense! You know what with –"

"Just keep reading Neville."

**"We may as well be comfortable," said Dumbledore pleasantly.**

**As he replaced his wand in his pocket, Harry saw that his hand was blackened and shrivelled; it looked as though his flesh had been burned away.**

"What's that all about?" Remus asked and everyone else shivered.

"I have no idea," Dumbledore said. "I don't have it now."

"It doesn't sound too good. I hope you're alright!" Mrs. Weasley said.

Ginny rolled her eyes and whispered something to harry about her mum being too over protective behind her back. Harry was trying not to laugh and so were Ron, Hermoine and Neville as they had heard what Ginny has said.

**"Sir — what happened to your —?"**

**"Later, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Please sit down."**

**Harry took the remaining armchair, choosing not to look at the Dursleys, who seemed stunned into silence.**

**"I would assume that you were going to offer me refreshment," Dumbledore said to Uncle Vernon, "but the evidence so far suggests that that would be optimistic to the point of foolishness."**

**A third twitch of the wand, and a dusty bottle and five glasses appeared in midair. The bottle tipped and poured a generous measure of honey-colored liquid into each of the glasses, which then floated to each person in the room.**

**"Madam Rosmertas finest oak-matured mead," said Dumbledore, raising his glass to Harry, who caught hold of his own and sipped. He had never tasted anything like it before, but enjoyed it immensely. The Dursleys, after quick, scared looks at one another, tried to ignore their glasses completely, a difficult feat, as they were nudging them gently on the sides of their heads. **

"You really should just take it and it will leave you alone!" Sirius warned but he was laughing at the same time.

**Harry could not suppress a suspicion that Dumbledore was rather enjoying himself.**

**"Well, Harry," said Dumbledore, turning toward him, "a difficulty has arisen which I hope you will be able to solve for us. By us, I mean the Order of the Phoenix. But first of all I must tell you that Sirius's will was discovered a week ago and that he left you everything he owned."**

"Wow, so now you have the full Potters estates and Black estates, you'll probably richer then Draco now!" Sirius said.

"Really?" Harry said.

"Don't let that go to your head Harry," Ginny whispered in his ear so that nobody else heard.

"I didn't let being the most famous eleven year old on the planet go to my head why would I let this?" Harry whispered back shivering at the feel of her breath on his skin.

**Over on the sofa, Uncle Vernon's head turned, but Harry did not look at him, nor could he think of anything to say except, "Oh. Right."**

**"This is, in the main, fairly straightforward," Dumbledore went on. "You add a reasonable amount of gold to your account at Gringotts, and you inherit all of Sirius's personal possessions. The slightly problematic part of the legacy —"**

**"His godfather's dead?" said Uncle Vernon loudly from the sofa. Dumbledore and Harry both turned to look at him. The glass of mead was now knocking quite insistently on the side of Vernon's head; he attempted to beat it away. "He's dead? His godfather?"**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore. He did not ask Harry why he had not confided in the Dursleys. "Our problem," he continued to Harry, as if there had been no interruption, "is that Sirius also left you number twelve, Grimmauld Place."**

"Burn it down, Please." Sirius said bitterly.

"But it would still be the headquarters' of the Order right?" Hermione said.

"Oh yeah... Burn it down, that place is better as a pile of ash." Sirius said after thinking it over.

**"He's been left a house?" said Uncle Vernon greedily, his small eyes narrowing, but nobody answered him.**

Petunias eyes narrowed. She knew that greedy streak of his. He always had to have everything; He was like a bloody five year old.

**"You can keep using it as headquarters," said Harry. "I don't care. You can have it, I don't really want it." Harry never wanted to set foot in number twelve, Grimmauld Place again if he could help it. He thought he would be haunted forever by the memory of Sirius prowling its dark musty rooms alone, imprisoned within the place he had wanted so desperately to leave.**

**"That is generous," said Dumbledore. "We have, however, vacated the building temporarily."**

**"Why?"**

**"Well," said Dumbledore, ignoring the mutterings of Uncle Vernon, who was now being rapped smartly over the head by the persistent glass of mead, This brought Sirius out of his depressed mood somewhat or at least caused him to grin.**

**"Black family tradition decreed that the house was handed down the direct line, to the next male with the name of 'Black.' Sirius was the very last of the line as his younger brother, Regulus, predeceased him and both were childless. While his will makes it perfectly plain that he wants you to have the house, it is nevertheless possible that some spell or enchantment has been set upon the place to ensure that it cannot be owned by anyone other than a pureblood."**

"Oh there is," Sirius said darkly. "My dear old mum talked about them none stop."

"So then Harry doesn't get the house?" Ron said confused.

"Do you really think that I would let my mum get her way?" Sirius smirked at him. "I probably would have already thought of something to make sure that Bellabitch or Cissy doesn't get the house! No Offence" He added in Draco's direction.

"None taken." He replied.

**A vivid image of the shrieking, spitting portrait of Sirius's mother that hung in the hall of number twelve, Grimmauld Place flashed into Harry's mind. "I bet there has," he said.**

"Quite," said Dumbledore. "And if such an enchantment exists, then the ownership of the house is most likely to pass to the eldest of Sirius's living relatives, which would mean your cousin, Sirius"

"Not that I would I want that to happen."

**Without realizing what he was doing, Harry sprang to his feet; the telescope and trainers in his lap rolled across the floor. Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius's killer, inherit his house?**

**"No," he said.**

**"Well, obviously we would prefer that she didn't get it either," said Dumbledore calmly. "The situation is fraught with complications. We do not know whether the enchantments we ourselves have placed upon it, for example, making it Unplottable, will hold now that ownership has passed from Sirius's hands. It might be that Bellatrix will arrive on the doorstep at any moment. Naturally we had to move out until such time as we have clarified the position."**

**"But how are you going to find out if I'm allowed to own it?"**

**"Fortunately," said Dumbledore, "there is a simple test."**

**He placed his empty glass on a small table beside his chair, but before he could do anything else, Uncle Vernon shouted, "Will you get these ruddy things off us?"**

**Harry looked around; all three of the Dursleys were cowering with their arms over their heads as their glasses bounced up and down on their skulls, their contents flying everywhere.**

"You should have just grabbed it! Really, you're just making it worse!" Sirius barked out laughing.

**"Oh, I'm so sorry," said Dumbledore politely, and he raised his wand again. All three glasses vanished. "But it would have been better manners to drink it, you know."**

**It looked as though Uncle Vernon was bursting with any number of unpleasant retorts, but he merely shrank back into the cushions with Aunt Petunia and Dudley and said nothing, keeping his small piggy eyes on Dumbledore's wand.**

**"You see," Dumbledore said, turning back to Harry and again speaking as though Uncle Vernon had not uttered, "if you have indeed inherited the house, you have also inherited —"**

**He flicked his wand for a fifth time. There was a loud crack, and a house-elf appeared, **

"Kreacher" everyone who had met the house elf hissed.

**with a snout for a nose, giant bat's ears, and enormous bloodshot eyes, crouching on the Dursleys' shag carpet and covered in grimy rags. Aunt Petunia let out a hair-raising shriek; nothing this filthy had entered her house in living memory. Dudley drew his large, bare, pink feet off the floor and sat with them raised almost above his head, as though he thought the creature might run up his pajama trousers, **

"I'd almost forgive him if he did do that." Sirius said almost amused. He thought about it for a minute and then "Naah!"

**and Uncle Vernon bellowed, "What the hell is that?"**

**"Kreacher," finished Dumbledore.**

**"Kreacher won't, Kreacher won't, Kreacher won't!" croaked the house-elf, quite as loudly as Uncle Vernon, stamping his long, gnarled feet and pulling his ears. "Kreacher belongs to Miss Bellatrix, oh yes, Kreacher belongs to the Blacks, Kreacher wants his new mistress, Kreacher won't go to the Potter brat, Kreacher won't, won't, won't —"**

"He really is crazy if he thinks that bitch will treat him nicely, or like anything but vermin." Sirius said.

"But he likes her so much, wouldn't you think that means that she has treated him nicely!" Hermione said.

"He likes her because His master probably always talked about what great person she was, making the family proud." Draco said

"So he doesn't even know her?" Hermione said.

"Not really," Sirius said. "I mean she was at our house some of the time when the whole family came over and all..." he continued in a hollow voice and shivering at the thought."But that's about it."

**"As you can see, Harry," said Dumbledore loudly, over Kreacher's continued croaks of "wont, won't, won't," "Kreacher is showing a certain reluctance to pass into your ownership."**

**"I don't care," said Harry again, looking with disgust at the writhing, stamping house-elf. "I don't want him."**

**"Won't, won't, won't, won't —"**

**"You would prefer him to pass into the ownership of Bellatrix Lestrange? Bearing in mind that he has lived at the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix for the past year?"**

**"Won't, won't, won't, won't —"**

**Harry stared at Dumbledore. He knew that Kreacher could not be permitted to go and live with Bellatrix Lestrange, but the idea of owning him, of having responsibility for the creature that had betrayed Sirius, was repugnant.**

**"Give him an order," said Dumbledore. "If he has passed into your ownership, he will have to obey. If not, then we shall have to think of some other means of keeping him from his rightful mistress."**

**"Won't, won't, won't, WON'T!"**

**Kreacher's voice had risen to a scream. Harry could think of nothing to say, except,**

**"Kreacher, shut up!"**

**It looked for a moment as though Kreacher was going to choke. He grabbed his throat, his mouth still working furiously, his eyes bulging. After a few seconds of frantic gulping, he threw himself face forward onto the carpet (Aunt Petunia whimpered) and beat the floor with his hands and feet, giving himself over to a violent, but entirely silent, tantrum.**

"So it looks like he's gonna be yours" Sirius said. "Sorry about that."

"No, it's a good thing, right? We really don't want him falling into that bitch's hands." Harry said

"You're gonna own a house elf?"Hermione screeched. "You're gonna set him free right? Its slave labour –"

"Hermione, you've got to understand that house elves like to work and that if they're set free they could lose their magic and die!" Mr. Weasley said

"But- but Dobby didn't lose his magic and he's free!"

"I'm fairly sure that's because he already thought of someone else as his master"

"Um..." Sirius cleared his throat and said. "I'm pretty sure Harry owns more than one house elf."

"What?" Both Hermione and Harry said.

"Well I don't know for sure, but I know that James' family had one too" he said.

**"Well, that simplifies matters," said Dumbledore cheerfully. "It means that Sirius knew what he was doing. You are the rightful owner of number twelve, Grimmauld Place and of Kreacher."**

**"Do I — do I have to keep him with me?" Harry asked, aghast, us Kreacher thrashed around at his feet.**

**"Not if you don't want to," said Dumbledore. "If I might make a suggestion, you could send him to Hogwarts to work in the kitchen there. In that way, the other house-elves could keep an eye on him."**

**"Yeah," said Harry in relief, "yeah, I'll do that. Er — Kreacher — I want you to go to Hogwarts and work in the kitchens there with the other house-elves."**

"Good, hopefully you won't ever have to see him again." Not surprisingly that came from Sirius.

**Kreacher, who was now lying flat on his back with his arms and legs in the air, gave Harry one upside-down look of deepest loathing and, with another loud crack, vanished.**

**"Good," said Dumbledore. "There is also the matter of the hippogriff, Buckbeak. Hagrid has been looking after him since Sirius died, but Buckbeak is yours now, so if you would prefer to make different arrangements —"**

**"No," said Harry at once, "he can stay with Hagrid. I think Buckbeak would prefer that."**

"That's really nice Harry" Charlie said. "I'm sure he missed him. I'm like that with the dragons."

**"Hagrid will be delighted," said Dumbledore, smiling. "He was thrilled to see Buckbeak again. Incidentally, we have decided, in the interests of Buckbeak's safety, to rechristen him 'Witherwings' for the time being, though I doubt that the Ministry would ever guess he is the hippogriff they once sentenced to death. Now, Harry, is your trunk packed?"**

**Erm…**

**"Doubtful that I would turn up?" Dumbledore suggested shrewdly.**

**"I'll just go and — er — finish off," said Harry hastily, hurrying to pick up his fallen telescope and trainers.**

**It took him a little over ten minutes to track down everything he needed; at last he had managed to extract his Invisibility Cloak from under the bed, screwed the top back on his jar of color-change ink, and forced the lid of his trunk shut on his cauldron. Then, heaving his trunk in one hand and holding Hedwig's cage in the other, he made his way back downstairs,**

**He was disappointed to discover that Dumbledore was not waiting in the hall, which meant that he had to return to the living room.**

**Nobody was talking. Dumbledore was humming quietly, apparently quite at his ease, but the atmosphere was thicker than cold custard, and Harry did not dare look at the Dursleys as he said, "Professor — I'm ready now."**

**"Good," said Dumbledore. "Just one last thing, then." And he turned to speak to the Dursleys once more.**

**"As you will no doubt be aware, Harry comes of age in a years' time —"**

**"No," said Aunt Petunia, speaking for the first time since Dumbledore's arrival.**

**"I'm sorry?" said Dumbledore politely.**

**"No, he doesn't. He's a month younger than Dudley, and Dudders doesn't turn eighteen until the year after next."**

"Petunia you know that we come of age when we're seventeen," Severus said.

"Maybe I forgot!" She said offended although she knew she doesn't forget things.

"You don't forget things!" Severus said "You just like to act like you do." Petunia turned bright red.

"Shut your trap!" she yelled at him while the rest were laughing at them.

**"Ah," said Dumbledore pleasantly, "but in the Wizarding world, we come of age at seventeen."**

**Uncle Vernon muttered, "Preposterous," but Dumbledore ignored him,**

**"Now, as you already know, the wizard called Lord Voldemort has returned to this country. The Wizarding community is currently in a state of open warfare. Harry, whom Lord Voldemort has already attempted to kill on a number of occasions, is in even greater danger now than the day when I left him upon your doorstep fifteen years ago, with a letter explaining about his parents' murder and expressing the hope that you would care for him as though he were your own."**

**Dumbledore paused, and although his voice remained light and calm, and he gave no obvious sign of anger, Harry felt a kind of chill emanating from him and noticed that the Dursleys drew very slightly closer together.**

"So he is angry then," Fred said grinning.

**"You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best that can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy sitting between you."**

"That is true." Petunia said. "It's sad that it was really better for you to be neglected."

"What?" Sirius said angrily.

"Could you image what would have happened if I spoiled Harry like we spoiled Dudley," Petunia said making a face. "I'm just happy that at least one person in that house turns out to be well mannered."

**Both Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon looked around instinctively, as though expecting to see someone other than Dudley squeezed between them.**

**"Us — mistreat Dudders? What d'you —?" began Uncle Vernon furiously, but Dumbledore raised his finger for silence, a silence which fell as though he had struck Uncle Vernon dumb.**

**"The magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house 'home.' However miserable he has been here, however unwelcome, however badly treated, you have at least, grudgingly, allowed him houseroom. This magic will cease to operate the moment that Harry turns seventeen; in other words, at the moment he becomes a man. I ask only this: that you allow Harry to return, once more, to this house, before his seventeenth birthday, which will ensure that the protection continues until that time."**

**None of the Dursleys said anything. Dudley was frowning slightly, as though he was still trying to work out when he had ever been mistreated.**

**Uncle Vernon looked as though he had something stuck in his throat; Aunt Petunia, however, was oddly flushed.**

**"Well, Harry… time for us to be off," said Dumbledore at last, standing up and straightening his long black cloak. "Until we meet again," he said to the Dursleys, who looked as though that moment could wait forever as far as they were concerned, and after doffing his hat, he swept from the room.**

**"Bye," said Harry hastily to the Dursleys, and followed Dumbledore, who paused beside Harry's trunk, upon which Hedwig's cage was perched.**

**"We do not want to be encumbered by these just now," he said, pulling out his wand again. "I shall send them to the Burrow to await us there. However, I would like you to bring your Invisibility Cloak… just in case."**

"You should carry that around more," Sirius said "your dad did and it was really useful when we got into trouble." Minnie looked at him with her lips pursed but he didn't seem to notice as he was too busy staring at the ceiling.

**Harry extracted his cloak from his trunk with some difficulty, trying not to show Dumbledore the mess within. **

"I really doubt he cares, or would be surprise about the mess."

**When he had stuffed it into an inside pocket of his jacket, Dumbledore waved his wand and the trunk, cage, and Hedwig vanished. Dumbledore then waved his wand again, and the front door opened onto cool, misty darkness.**

**"And now, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure."**

"That's the end of the chapter," Neville said, however before he could give the book to Ron he noticed the next chapter title.

"Who's Horace Slughorn?" he asked.

"He was the old potions master." Severus said "Why do you ask?"

"It's the title of the next chapter." Neville answered.

Ron opened the book and began reading.


	5. Chapter 5

Ron opened the book and began reading.

**"Horace Slughorn," **

**Despite the fact that he had spent every waking moment of the past few days hoping desperately that Dumbledore would indeed come to fetch him, Harry felt distinctly awkward as they set off down Privet Drive together. He had never had a proper conversation with the headmaster outside of Hogwarts before;**

"You know there are people who haven't had a proper conversation with him inside Hogwarts!" Charlie said thoughtfully.

"There are?" the twins said simultaneously

"We were in his office once a week" Fred said jokingly.

"We had plenty of conversations with Dumbledore. Isn't that right professor?" George asked his face formal. Dumbledore just looked on with a twinkle in his eyes. Everyone laughed with the exception of Mrs. Weasley who did not see the humour in the fact that her sons got send to the headmaster at least once a week. "Don't worry Molly I think that James, Moony and myself were sent to the Headmaster a fair few more time than Fred and George.

**there was usually a desk between them. The memory of their last face-to-face encounter kept intruding too, and it rather heightened Harry's sense of embarrassment; he had shouted a lot on that occasion, not to mention done his best to smash several of Dumbledore's most prized possessions.**

**Dumbledore, however, seemed completely relaxed.**

**"Keep your wand at the ready, Harry," he said brightly.**

**"Does you think there's danger sir?" Hermione said apprehensive.**

**"No, I just want to be prepared for fear that somethingmight occur." The elder man said.**

**"But I thought I'm not allowed to use magic outside school, sir?"**

**"If there is an attack," said Dumbledore, "I give you permission to use any counter jinx or curse that might occur to you. However, I do not think you need worry about being attacked tonight."**

**"Why not, sir?"**

**"You are with me," said Dumbledore simply. "This will do, Harry."**

**He came to an abrupt halt at the end of Privet Drive.**

**"You have not, of course, passed your Apparition Test," he said.**

**"No," said Harry. "I thought you had to be seventeen?"**

**"You do," said Dumbledore. "So you will need to hold on to my arm very tightly. My left, if you don't mind — as you have noticed, my wand arm is a little fragile at the moment."**

**Harry gripped Dumbledore's proffered forearm.**

**"Very good," said Dumbledore. "Well, here we go."**

**Harry felt Dumbledore's arm twist away from him and redoubled his grip; the next thing he knew, everything went black; he was being pressed very hard from all directions; he could not breathe, there were iron bands tightening around his chest; his eyeballs were being forced back into his head; his eardrums were being pushed deeper into his skull and then —**

"Does it really feel like that?" Petunia asked.

"Yeah, but Harry doesn't make it sound appealing does he?" Bill answered, he found that warming up to the woman was easier now that she was so nice.

**He gulped great lungfulls of cold night air and opened his streaming eyes. He felt as though he had just been forced through a very tight rubber tube. It was a few seconds before he realized that Privet Drive had vanished. He and Dumbledore were now standing in what appeared to be a deserted village square, in the centre of which stood an old war memorial and a few benches. His comprehension catching up with his senses, Harry realized that he had just Apparated for the first time in his life.**

"Well, what did you think was going to happen!"

**"Are you all right?" asked Dumbledore, looking down at him solicitously. "The sensation does take some getting used to."**

**"I'm fine," said Harry, rubbing his ears, which felt as though they had left Privet Drive rather reluctantly. **

"That is not a pleasant thought mate" Ron said shuddering.

**"But I think I might prefer brooms…"**

**Dumbledore smiled, drew his travelling cloak a little more tightly around his neck, and said, "This way."**

**He set off at a brisk pace, past an empty inn and a few houses. According to a clock on a nearby church, it was almost midnight.**

**"So tell me, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Your scar… has it been hurting at all?"Harry raised a hand unconsciously to his forehead and rubbed the lightning-shaped mark.**

**"No," he said, **

"Good!" Hermione sighed frustratingly. "That one thing less to worry about."

"But why would it stop hurting?" Ron said confused.

"Why would it hurt in the first place?" Draco asked curiously.

"It's because of the connection I have with Voldemort." Harry responded. Draco looked shocked and a little paler.

**"and I've been wondering about that. I thought it would be burning all the time now Voldemort's getting so powerful again."**

**He glanced up at Dumbledore and saw that he was wearing a satisfied expression.**

**"I, on the other hand, thought otherwise," said Dumbledore. "Lord Voldemort has finally realized the dangerous access to his thoughts and feelings you have been enjoying. It appears that he is now employing Occlumency against you."**

**"Well, I'm not complaining," said Harry, who missed neither the disturbing dreams nor the startling flashes of insight into Voldemort's mind.**

**They turned a corner, passing a telephone box and a bus shelter. Harry looked sideways at Dumbledore again. "Professor?"**

**"Harry?"**

**"Er — where exactly are we?"**

**"This, Harry, is the charming village of Budleigh Babberton."**

**"And what are we doing here?"**

**"Ah yes, of course, I haven't told you," said Dumbledore. "Well, I have lost count of the number of times I have said this in recent years, but we are, once again, one member of staff short. We are here to persuade an old colleague of mine to come out of retirement and return to Hogwarts."**

"So Slughorn will be our teacher." Hermione said.

"But he's not a Defence teacher, He's a potions master." Neville said puzzled.

"Severus must being getting his wish at last." Dumbledore said

Quite a few of the students groaned. "No offence professor but your book self is most likely still an arse" Ron said boorishly

"How can I help with that, sir?"

**"Oh, I think we'll find a use for you," said Dumbledore vaguely. "Left here, Harry."**

**They proceeded up a steep, narrow street lined with houses. All the windows were dark. The odd chill that had lain over Privet Drive for two weeks persisted here too. Thinking of Dementors, Harry cast a look over his shoulder and grasped his wand reassuringly in his pocket.**

**"Professor, why couldn't we just Apparate directly into your old colleague's house?"**

**"We don't really like doing that," Remus said. "And a lot of wizard's dwellings have measures put up to prevent that."**

**"Because it would be quite as rude as kicking down the front door," said Dumbledore. "Courtesy dictates that we offer fellow wizards the opportunity of denying us entry. In any case, most Wizarding dwellings are magically protected from unwanted Apparators. At Hogwarts, for instance —"**

**"— you can't Apparate anywhere inside the buildings or grounds," said Harry quickly. "Hermione Granger told me."**

"Finally you remember!" Hermione smiled. "Good to know at least one of you listened."

"Well, if you hear it that much it has to stick around!" Harry said jokingly

**"And she is quite right. We turn left again."**

**The church clock chimed midnight behind them. Harry wondered why Dumbledore did not consider it rude to call on his old colleague so late, but now that conversation had been established, he had more pressing questions to ask.**

**"Sir, I saw in the Daily Prophet that Fudge has been sacked…"**

**"Correct," said Dumbledore, now turning up a steep side street. "He has been replaced, as I am sure you also saw, by Rufus Scrimgeour, who used to be Head of the Auror office."**

**"Is he… Do you think he's good?" asked Harry.**

**"An interesting question," said Dumbledore. "He is able, certainly. A more decisive and forceful personality than Cornelius."**

"That's not necessary better." Remus said. "Or I should say good enough."

**"Yes, but I meant —"**

**"I know what you meant. Rufus is a man of action and, having fought Dark wizards for most of his working life, does not underestimate Lord Voldemort."**

**Harry waited, but Dumbledore did not say anything about the disagreement with Scrimgeour that the Daily Prophet had reported, and he did not have the nerve to pursue the subject, so he changed it. "And… sir… I saw about Madam Bones."**

**"Yes," said Dumbledore quietly. "A terrible loss. She was a great witch. Just up here, I think — ouch."**

**He had pointed with his injured hand.**

"I really don't like that." Mrs. Weasley said fretful.

**"Professor, what happened to your…?"**

**"I have no time to explain now," said Dumbledore. "It is a thrilling tale, I wish to do it justice."**

"So you do hear it, right?" Sirius asked.

"I hope so!" Harry said. A note fell in Sirius' lap as he said this.

_Dear Sirius,_

_He hears the tale but it takes some time so be patient._

_Love, LLP_

Everyone sighed. "Are you ever going to say without making us more curious?"

_Maybe,_

_LLP_

Everyone groaned.

**He smiled at Harry, who understood that he was not being snubbed, and that he had permission to keep asking questions.**

**"Sir — I got a Ministry of Magic leaflet by owl, about security measures we should all take against the Death Eaters…"**

**"Yes, I received one myself," said Dumbledore, still smiling. "Did you find it useful?"**

**"Not really."**

**"No, I thought not. You have not asked me, for instance, what is my favourite flavour of jam, to check that I am indeed Professor Dumbledore and not an impostor."**

"That would be really bad if he was an impostor!" Hermione said

"He would have already killed me if he was, Mione" Harry said logically to her and showing her mature self stuck her tongue out at him.

**"I didn't…" Harry began, not entirely sure whether he was being reprimanded or not.**

**"For future reference, Harry, it is raspberry… although of course, if I were a Death Eater, I would have been sure to research my own jam preferences before impersonating myself."**

"I like how you put that professor" Sirius laughed.

"**Er… right," said Harry. "Well, on that leaflet, it said something about Inferi. What exactly are they? The leaflet wasn't very clear."**

"Why do you always have to ask question like that?" Sirius asked shivering.

"He's curious, duh" Tonks said.

**"They are corpses," said Dumbledore calmly. "Dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark wizard's bidding. Inferi have not been seen for a long time, however, not since Voldemort was last powerful… He killed enough people to make an army of them, of course. This is the place, Harry, just here…"**

"Well there is a sick thought for you him having killed enough people to make an army!" Neville said shaking his head.

**They were nearing a small, neat stone house set in its own garden. Harry was too busy digesting the horrible idea of Inferi to have much attention left for anything else, but as they reached the front gate, Dumbledore stopped dead and Harry walked into him.**

**"Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear."**

"What happened?" Mrs. Weasley said. _(A/N. We're going to type Molly or Arthur now because we're too lazy to type it like that every time) _

**Harry followed his gaze up the carefully tended front path and felt his heart sink. The front door was hanging off its hinges.**

"You don't suppose something has happened to Slughorn do you?" Molly said nervous.

**Dumbledore glanced up and down the street. It seemed quite deserted.**

**"Wand out and follow me, Harry," he said quietly.**

**He opened the gate and walked swiftly and silently up the garden path, Harry at his heels, then pushed the front door very slowly, his wand raised and at the ready.**

**"Lumos."**

**Dumbledore's wand tip ignited, casting its light up a narrow hallway. To the left, another door stood open. Holding his illuminated wand aloft, Dumbledore walked into the sitting room with Harry right behind him.**

**A scene of total devastation met their eyes. A grandfather clock lay splintered at their feet, its face cracked, its pendulum lying a little farther away like a dropped sword. A piano was on its side, its keys strewn across the floor. The wreckage of a fallen chandelier flittered nearby. Cushions lay deflated, feathers oozing from slashes in their sides; fragments of glass and china lay like powder over everything. Dumbledore raised his wand even higher, so that its light was thrown upon the walls, where something darkly red and glutinous was spattered over the wallpaper. Harry's small intake of breath made Dumbledore look around.**

"That really doesn't sound good." Ginny said.

"Don't worry!" Severus grinned; it was too convenient to be true. "He must not want to be found."

"What..." Petunia said looking at him confused.

"It's a ruse, I'm sure of it!" Severus smirked.

**"Not pretty, is it?" he said heavily. "Yes, something horrible has happened here."**

**Dumbledore moved carefully into the middle of the room, scrutinizing the wreckage at his feet. Harry followed, gazing around, half-scared of what he might see hidden behind the wreck of the piano or the overturned sofa, but there was no sign of a body.**

**"Maybe there was a fight and — and they dragged him off, Professor?" Harry suggested, trying not to imagine how badly wounded a man would have to be to leave those stains spattered halfway up the walls.**

**"I don't think so," said Dumbledore quietly, peering behind an overstuffed armchair lying on its side.**

**"You mean he's —?"**

**"Still here somewhere? Yes."**

"I don't think that's what you were going to say pup!" Sirius laughed.

"No, I don't think so either." Harry smiled.

**And without warning, Dumbledore swooped, plunging the tip of his wand into the seat of the overstuffed armchair, which yelled, "Ouch!"**

"Disguised as an armchair!" Severus chuckled.

**"Good evening, Horace," said Dumbledore, straightening up again.**

**Harry's jaw dropped. Where a split second before there had been an armchair, there now crouched an enormously fat, bald, old man who was massaging his lower belly and squinting up at Dumbledore with an aggrieved and watery eye.**

**"There was no need to stick the wand in that hard," he said gruffly, clambering to his feet. "It hurt."**

**The wandlight sparkled on his shiny pate, his prominent eyes, his enormous, silver, walrus like moustache, and the highly polished buttons on the maroon velvet jacket he was wearing over a pair of lilac silk pyjamas. The top of his head barely reached Dumbledore's chin.**

**"What gave it away?" he grunted as he staggered to his feet, still rubbing his lower belly. He seemed remarkably unabashed for a man who had just been discovered pretending to be an armchair.**

**"My dear Horace," said Dumbledore, looking amused, "if the Death Eaters really had come to call, the Dark Mark would have been set over the house."**

**The wizard clapped a pudgy hand to his vast forehead.**

**"The Dark Mark," he muttered. "Knew there was something… ah well. **

"Does that mean he knows how to conjure it?" Ron asked narrowing his eyes.

"Possibly." Severus said. "But I'm sure that he's not a Death Eater."

**Wouldn't have had time anyway, I'd only just put the finishing touches to my upholstery when you entered the room."**

**He heaved a great sigh that made the ends of his moustache flutter.**

**"Would you like my assistance clearing up?" asked Dumbledore politely.**

**"Please," said the other.**

**They stood back to back, the tall thin wizard and the short round one, and waved their wands in one identical sweeping motion.**

**The furniture flew back to its original places; ornaments re-formed in midair, feathers zoomed into their cushions; torn books repaired themselves as they landed upon their shelves; oil lanterns soared onto side tables and reignited; a vast collection of splintered silver picture frames flew glittering across the room and alighted, whole and untarnished, upon a desk; rips, cracks, and holes healed everywhere, and the walls wiped themselves clean.**

**"What kind of blood was that, incidentally?" asked Dumbledore loudly over the chiming of the newly unsmashed grandfather flock.**

**"On the walls? Dragon," shouted the wizard called Horace, **

**"I thought dragon's blood was green." Ron said.**

**"There are different colour for the different kinds and uses." Severus said lifting an eyebrow. "I'm sure you ought to remember that from your fourth year classes."**

**as, with a deafening grinding and tinkling, the chandelier screwed itself back into the ceiling.**

**There was a final plunk from the piano, and silence.**

**"Yes, dragon," repeated the wizard conversationally. "My last bottle, and prices are sky-high at the moment. Still, it might be reusable."**

**He stumped over to a small crystal bottle standing on top of a sideboard and held it up to the light, examining the thick liquid within.**

**"Hmm. Bit dusty."**

**He set the bottle back on the sideboard and sighed. It was then that his gaze fell upon Harry.**

**"Oho," he said, his large round eyes flying to Harry's forehead and the lightning-shaped scar it bore. "Oho!"**

"Knows who you are of course." Severus smirked. "He's really going to like you."

"Why?" Harry asked making a face.

"He likes famous people or talented students" He answered dryly.

"**This," said Dumbledore, moving forward to make the introduction, "is Harry Potter. Harry, this is an old Friend and colleague of mine, Horace Slughorn."**

**Slughorn turned on Dumbledore, his expression shrewd. "So that's how you thought you'd persuade me, is it? Well, the answer's no, Albus."**

**He pushed past Harry, his face turned resolutely away with the air of a man trying to resist temptation.**

**"I suppose we can have a drink, at least?" asked Dumbledore. "For old time's sake?"**

**Slughorn hesitated.**

**"All right then, one drink," he said ungraciously.**

**Dumbledore smiled at Harry and directed him toward a chair not unlike the one that Slughorn had so recently impersonated, which stood right beside the newly burning fire and a brightly glowing oil lamp. Harry took the seat with the distinct impression that Dumbledore, for some reason, wanted to keep him as visible as possible. Certainly when Slughorn, who had been busy with decanters and glasses, turned to face the room again, his eyes fell immediately upon Harry.**

**"Hmpf," he said, looking away quickly as though frightened of hurting his eyes. "Here —" He gave a drink to Dumbledore, who had sat down without invitation, thrust the tray at Harry, and then sank into the cushions of the repaired sofa and a disgruntled silence. His legs were so short they did not touch the floor.**

**"Well, how have you been keeping, Horace?" Dumbledore asked.**

**"Not so well," said Slughorn at once. "Weak chest. Wheezy. Rheumatism too. Can't move like I used to. Well, that's to be expected. Old age. Fatigue."**

**"And yet you must have moved fairly quickly to prepare such a welcome for us at such short notice," said Dumbledore. "You can't have had more than three minutes' warning?"**

**Slughorn said, half irritably, half proudly, "Two. Didn't hear my Intruder Charm go off, I was taking a bath. Still," he added sternly, seeming to pull himself back together again, "the fact remains that I'm an old man, Albus. A tired old man who's earned the right to a quiet life and a few creature comforts."**

**He certainly had those, thought Harry, looking around the room. It was stuffy and cluttered, yet nobody could say it was uncomfortable; there were soft chairs and footstools, drinks and books, boxes of chocolates and plump cushions. If Harry had not known who lived there, he would have guessed at a rich, fussy old lady.**

**"Well if you look at the style his office was decorated in I'd say that's his house." Remus assumed**

**"Yes, I suppose it does sound like his style but I know that isn't Horace's house." Dumbledore reasoned. "I've been to his house before and it's nothing like that actually."**

**"You're not yet as old as I am, Horace," said Dumbledore.**

**"Well, maybe you ought to think about retirement yourself," said Slughorn bluntly. His pale gooseberry eyes had found Dumbledore's injured hand. "Reactions not what they were, I see."**

**"You're quite right," said Dumbledore serenely, shaking back his sleeve to reveal the tips of those burned and blackened ringers; the sight of them made the back of Harry's neck prickle unpleasantly. "I am undoubtedly slower than I was. But on the other hand…"**

**He shrugged and spread his hands wide, as though to say that age had its compensations, and Harry noticed a ring on his uninjured hand that he had never seen Dumbledore wear before: It was large, rather clumsily made of what looked like gold, and was set with a heavy black stone that had cracked down the middle. Slughorn's eyes lingered for a moment on the ring too, and Harry saw a tiny frown momentarily crease his wide forehead.**

"I wonder what that ring is?" Ginny mumbled. Only Harry noticed Dumbledore's eyes widen a little. He made a mental not to ask him about it after this book was over. Meanwhile Dumbledore was wondering if that ring was what he thought it was.

**"So, all these precautions against intruders, Horace… are they for the Death Eaters' benefit, or mine?" asked Dumbledore.**

**"What would the Death Eaters want with a poor broken-down old buffer like me?" demanded Slughorn.**

**"I imagine that they would want you to turn your considerable talents to coercion, torture, and murder," said Dumbledore. "Are you really telling me that they haven't come recruiting yet?"**

**Slughorn eyed Dumbledore balefully for a moment, then muttered, "I haven't given them the chance. I've been on the move for a year. Never stay in one place more than a week. Move from Muggle house to Muggle house — the owners of this place are on holiday in the Canary Islands — it's been very pleasant, I'll be sorry to leave. It's quite easy once you know how, one simple Freezing Charm on these absurd burglar alarms they use instead of Sneako-scopes and make sure the neighbours don't spot you bringing in the piano."**

"Definitely a Slytherin!" Draco said. When he saw everyone look his way he explained further. "He slips away from trouble."

**"Ingenious," said Dumbledore. "But it sounds a rather tiring existence for a broken-down old buffer in search of a quiet life. Now, if you were to return to Hogwarts —"**

**"If you're going to tell me my life would be more peaceful at that pestilential school, you can save your breath, Albus! I might have been in hiding, but some funny rumours have reached me since Dolores Umbridge left! If that's how you treat teachers these days —"**

**"Professor Umbridge ran afoul of our centaur herd," said Dumbledore. "I think you, Horace, would have known better than to stride into the forest and call a horde of angry centaurs 'filthy half-breeds.'"**

"She did what?" Charlie yelled in disbelieve. "Retarded woman. She had it coming to her!" Nearly everyone noticed the look between Harry and Hermoine. "Come one Harry what was that look about?" Petunia asked looking at Harry. "Oh we were there when she said that and now that we think about it, it is kind of funny." He said, reminiscing.

**"That's what she did, did she?" said Slughorn. "Idiotic woman. Never liked her."**

**Harry chuckled and both Dumbledore and Slughorn looked round at him.**

**"Sorry," Harry said hastily. "It's just — I didn't like her either."**

"That's a true statement if I ever heard one!" Tonks hollered

**Dumbledore stood up rather suddenly.**

**"Are you leaving?" asked Slughorn at once, looking hopeful.**

**"No, I was wondering whether I might use your bathroom," said Dumbledore.**

**"Oh," said Slughorn, clearly disappointed. "Second on the left down the hall."**

"And now you get to persuade Slughorn to come back to school." Severus said sympathetically. "I don't envy you."

**Dumbledore strode from the room. Once the door had closed behind him, there was silence. After a few moments, Slughorn got to his feet but seemed uncertain what to do with himself. He shot a furtive look at Harry, then crossed to the fire and turned his back on it, warming his wide behind.**

**"Don't think I don't know why he's brought you," he said abruptly.**

**Harry merely looked at Slughorn. Slughorn's watery eyes slid over Harry's scar, this time taking in the rest of his face.**

**"You look very like your father."**

**"Yeah, I've been told," said Harry.**

**"Except for your eyes. You've got — -"**

**"My mother's eyes, yeah." Harry had heard it so often he found it a bit wearing.**

"You don't like having Lily's eyes?" Petunia asked, looking sad.

"No, it's just that I've heard it so much it gets old." Harry said quickly, reassuring her.

**"Hmpf. Yes, well. You shouldn't have favourites as a teacher, of course, but she was one of mine. Your mother," Slughorn added, in answer to Harry's questioning look. **

**"Lily Evans. One of the brightest I ever taught. Vivacious, you know. Charming girl. I used to tell her she ought to have been in my House. Very cheeky answers I used to get back too."**

**"What did she say to him?" Harry asked curiously.**

"She said something different every time!" Sirius said excitedly. "I don't really remember what she said but it always made us laugh."

**"Which was your House?"**

**"I was Head of Slytherin," said Slughorn. "Oh, now," he went on quickly, seeing the expression on Harry's face and wagging a stubby ringer at him, "don't go holding that against me! You'll be Gryffindor like her, I suppose? Yes, it usually goes in families. Not always, though. Ever heard of Sirius Black? **

"Why did he ask you that, he knows that me and Prongs were best mates?" Sirius said outraged.

"That mustn't have been pleasant to hear Padfoot's name thrown out there like that." Remus said compassionately.

"No, it probably wasn't." Harry sighed.

**You must have done — been in the papers for the last couple of years — died a few weeks ago —"**

**It was as though an invisible hand had twisted Harry's intestines and held them tight.**

**"Well, anyway, he was a big pal of your father's at school. The whole Black family had been in my House, but Sirius ended up in Gryffindor! Shame — he was a talented boy. I got his brother, Regulus, when he came along, but I'd have liked the set."**

"That's why I never really like him!" Sirius said making a face. "He acts like were collector's items!"

**He sounded like an enthusiastic collector who had been outbid at auction. Apparently lost in memories, he gazed at the opposite wall, turning idly on the spot to ensure an even heat on his backside.**

**"Your mother was Muggle-born, of course. Couldn't believe it when I found out. Thought she must have been pure-blood, she was so good."**

"That really does not matter." Fleur said irritated.

**"One of my best friends is Muggle-born," said Harry, "and she's the best in our year."**

"You really think that Harry?" Hermione asked him beaming.

"It really is what any of us would say," Ron huffed.

"Somebody's jealous!" Neville muttered loud enough for Ron to hear.

**"Funny how that sometimes happens, isn't it?" said Slughorn.**

**"Not really," said Harry coldly.**

**Slughorn looked down at him in surprise. "You mustn't think I'm prejudiced!" he said. "No, no, no! Haven't I just said your mother was one of my all-time favourite students? And there was Dirk Cresswell in the year after her too — now Head of the Goblin Liaison Office, of course — another Muggle-born, a very gifted student, and still gives me excellent inside information on the goings-on at Gringotts!"**

**He bounced up and down a little, smiling in a self-satisfied way, and pointed at the many glittering photograph frames on the dresser, each peopled with tiny moving occupants.**

**"All ex-students, all signed. You'll notice Barnabas Cuffe, editor of the Daily Prophet, he's always interested to hear my take on the day's news. And Ambrosius Flume, of Honeydukes — a hamper every birthday, and all because I was able to give him an introduction to Ciceron Harkisss who gave him his first job! And at the back — you'll see her if you just crane your neck — that's Gwenog Jones, who of course captains the Holyhead Harpies… People are always astonished to hear I'm on first-name terms with the Harpies, and free tickets whenever I want them!"**

"I wouldn't mind those!" Ginny said absentmindedly.

**This thought seemed to cheer him up enormously.**

**"And all these people know where to find you, to send you stuff?" asked Harry, who could not help wondering why the Death Eaters had not yet tracked down Slughorn if hampers of sweets, Quidditch tickets, and visitors craving his advice and opinions could find him.**

**The smile slid from Slughorn's face as quickly as the blood from his walls.**

**"Of course not," he said, looking down at Harry. "I have been out of touch with everybody for a year."**

**Harry had the impression that the words shocked Slughorn himself; he looked quite unsettled for a moment. Then he shrugged.**

**"Still… the prudent wizard keeps his head down in such times. All very well for Dumbledore to talk, but taking up a post at Hogwarts just now would be tantamount to declaring my public allegiance to the Order of the Phoenix! And while I'm sure they're very admirable and brave and all the rest of it, I don't personally fancy the mortality rate —"**

"A true Slytherin!" Draco grinned.

"You say that as if it's a good thing!" Ron huffed.

"It's not necessarily a bad thing Ron!" Hermione reprimanded. "Slytherin doesn't equal dark, it just means that they ambitious and cunning."

"Thanks." Draco muttered to Hermione so no one heard. He gave her a little smile and she smiled back.

**"You don't have to join the Order to teach at Hogwarts," said Harry, who could not quite keep a note of derision out of his voice: It was hard to sympathize with Slughorn's cosseted existence when he remembered Sirius, crouching in a cave and living on rats. "Most of the teachers aren't in it, and none of them has ever been killed — well, unless you count Quirrell, and he got what he deserved seeing as he was working with Voldemort."**

**Harry had been sure Slughorn would be one of those wizards who could not bear to hear Voldemort's name spoken aloud, and was not disappointed: Slughorn gave a shudder and a squawk of protest, which Harry ignored.**

**"I reckon the staff is safer than most people while Dumbledore's headmaster; he's supposed to be the only one Voldemort ever feared, isn't he?" Harry went on.**

**Slughorn gazed into space for a moment or two: He seemed to be thinking over Harry's words.**

**"Well, yes, it is true that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named has never sought a fight with Dumbledore," he muttered grudgingly. "And I suppose one could argue that as I have not joined the Death Eaters, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named can hardly count me a friend… in which case, I might well be safer a little closer to Albus… I cannot pretend that Amelia Bones's death did not shake me… If she, with all her Ministry contacts and protection…"**

**Dumbledore re-entered the room and Slughorn jumped as though he had forgotten he was in the house.**

**"Oh, there you are, Albus," he said. "You've been a very long time. Upset stomach?"**

**"No, I was merely reading the Muggle magazines," said Dumbledore. "I do love knitting patterns. **(Chuckles could be heard around the room there) **Well, Harry, we have trespassed upon Horace's hospitality quite long enough; I think it is time for us to leave."**

**Not at all reluctant to obey, Harry jumped to his feet. Slughorn sinned taken aback.**

**"You're leaving?"**

**"Yes, indeed. I think I know a lost cause when I see one."**

**Everyone laughed at that; Dumbledore was really good at manipulating people.**

**"Lost…?"**

**Slughorn seemed agitated. He twiddled his fat thumbs and fidgeted as he watched Dumbledore fasten his travelling cloak, and Harry zip up his jacket.**

**"Well, I'm sorry you don't want the job, Horace," said Dumbledore, raising his uninjured hand in a farewell salute. "Hogwarts would have been glad to see you back again. Our greatly increased security notwithstanding, you will always be welcome to visit, should you wish to."**

**"Yes… well… very gracious… as I say…"**

**"Good-bye, then."**

**"Bye," said Harry.**

**They were at the front door when there was a shout from behind them.**

**"All right, all right, I'll do it!"**

**Dumbledore turned to see Slughorn standing breathless in the doorway to the sitting room.**

**"You will come out of retirement?"**

**"Yes, yes," said Slughorn impatiently. "I must be mad, but yes."**

**"Wonderful," said Dumbledore, beaming. "Then, Horace, we shall see you on the first of September."**

**"Yes, I daresay you will," grunted Slughorn.**

**As they set off down the garden path, Slughorn's voice floated after them, "I'll want a pay rise, Dumbledore!"**

"That's not likely to happen!" Sirius laughed. "You should have asked for that first."

**Dumbledore chuckled. The garden gate swung shut behind them, and they set off back down the hill through the dark and the swirling mist.**

**"Well done, Harry," said Dumbledore.**

**"I didn't do anything," said Harry in surprise.**

**"Oh yes you did. You showed Horace exactly how much he stands to gain by returning to Hogwarts. Did you like him?"**

**"Er…"**

**Harry wasn't sure whether he liked Slughorn or not. He supposed he had been pleasant in his way, but he had also seemed vain and, whatever he said to the contrary, much too surprised that a Muggle-born should make a good witch.**

"Yeah that just about sums up how I feel about him too!" Sirius said.

**"Horace," said Dumbledore, relieving Harry of the responsibility to say any of this, "likes his comfort. He also likes the company of the famous, the successful, and the powerful. He enjoys the feeling that he influences these people. He has never wanted to occupy the throne himself; he prefers the backseat — more room to spread out, you see. He used to handpick favourites at Hogwarts, sometimes for their ambition or their brains, sometimes for their charm or their talent, and he had an uncanny knack for choosing those who would go on to become outstanding in their various fields. Horace formed a kind of club of his favourites with himself at the centre, making introductions, forging useful contacts between members, and always reaping some kind of benefit in return, whether a free box of his favourite crystallized pineapple or the chance to recommend the next junior member of the Goblin liaison Office."**

**Harry had a sudden and vivid mental image of a great swollen spider, spinning a web around it, twitching a thread here and there to bring its large and juicy flies a little closer.**

"Bloody hell Harry, stop with the bloody spiders!" Ron said quivering.

**"I tell you all this," Dumbledore continued, "not to turn you against Horace — or, as we must now call him, Professor Slughorn — but to put you on your guard. He will undoubtedly try to collect you, Harry. You would be the jewel of his collection; 'the Boy Who Lived'… or, as they call you these days, 'the Chosen One.'"**

**At these words, a chill that had nothing to do with the surrounding mist stole over Harry. He was reminded of words he had heard a few weeks ago, words that had a horrible and particular meaning to him: Neither can live while the other survives…**

**Dumbledore had stopped walking, level with the church they had passed earlier.**

**"This will do, Harry. If you will grasp my arm."**

**Braced this time, Harry was ready for the Apparition, but still found it unpleasant. **

**When the pressure disappeared and he found himself able to breathe again, he was standing in a country lane beside Dumbledore and looking ahead to the crooked silhouette of his second favourite building in the world: the Burrow. **

"What's your favourite building then?" Ron asked.

"Hogwarts of course!" Harry said.

**In spite of the feeling of dread that had just swept through him, his spirits could not help but lift at the sight of it. Ron was in there… and so was Mrs. Weasley, who could cook better than anyone he knew…**

**"If you don't mind, Harry," said Dumbledore, as they passed through the gate, "I'd like a few words with you before we part. In private. Perhaps in here?"**

**Dumbledore pointed toward a run-down stone outhouse where the Weasleys kept their broomsticks. **

**A little puzzled, Harry followed Dumbledore through the creaking door into a space a little smaller than the average cupboard. Dumbledore illuminated the tip of his wand, so that it glowed like a torch, and smiled down at Harry.**

**"I hope you will forgive me for mentioning it, Harry, but I am pleased and a little proud at how well you seem to be coping after everything that happened at the Ministry. **

"I'd really like to know what happened at the ministry." Arthur said. FLASH. A note fell in his lap

_Dear everyone,_

_After discussing it with our family we decided that we would tell you a little about the battle at the ministry. The most important things that happened were the fact that MoldyShorts (Learnt that one from Uncle Harry) tricked Harry into coming to the ministry in an attempt to get his hands on the prophesy. _

_So with the impression that he had captured Sirius, Harry went to the ministry accompanied by Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville. There was a battle in the Chamber of Death when a few Order members arrived. Bellabitch was battling Sirius and send a stunner at him that made him fall into the Veil of Death._

_Harry chased her into the Atrium and MoldyShorts arrived. Dumbledore battled him and the minister arrived just in time to see him leave._

_There were a few Death Eaters caught. One of them was Lucius Malfoy. Fudge got fired because he had spent all year denying that MoldyShorts was back._

_So yeah that's it actually._

_Love,_

_LM & LM_

**Permit me to say that I think Sirius would have been proud of you."**

**Harry swallowed; his voice seemed to have deserted him. He did not think he could stand to discuss Sirius; it had been painful enough to hear Uncle Vernon say "His godfather's dead?" and even worse to hear Sirius's name thrown out casually by Slughorn.**

**"It was cruel," said Dumbledore softly, "that you and Sirius had such a short time together. A brutal ending to what should have been a long and happy relationship."**

**Harry nodded, his eyes fixed resolutely on the spider now climbing Dumbledore's hat. **

"There's spiders in there?" Ron screeched, great now he'll have to think about that ever time that he got his broom.

**He could tell that Dumbledore understood, that he might even suspect that until his letter arrived, Harry had spent nearly all his time at the Dursleys' lying on his bed, refusing meals, and staring at the misted window, full of the chill emptiness that he had come to associate with Dementors.**

**"It's just hard," Harry said finally, in a low voice, "to realize he won't write to me again."**

"And that's what you'll miss most?" Sirius barked.

"Well it is something that I never had before," Harry said. "Proof that someone outside Hogwarts cared about me." Petunia sighed.

"Harry I promise I'll write you from now on if I can get my hands on an owl." She said. Harry looked surprised, he hadn't expected that, then he did something even more unexpected, he had gotten up, walked over to her and enveloped her in a huge hug. When he let go she looked shocked but happy.

Severus looked at the exchange and thought to himself that he had to get her an owl for her birthday in July.

**His eyes burned suddenly and he blinked. He felt stupid for admitting it, but the fact that he had had someone outside Hogwarts who cared what happened to him, almost like a parent, had been one of the best things about discovering his godfather… and now the post owls would never bring him that comfort again…**

**"Sirius represented much to you that you had never known before," said Dumbledore gently. "Naturally, the loss is devastating…"**

**"But while I was at the Dursleys'…" interrupted Harry, his voice growing stronger, "I realized I can't shut myself away or — or crack up. Sirius wouldn't have wanted that, would he? And anyway, life's too short… Look at Madam Bones, look at Emmeline Vance… It could be me next, couldn't it? But if it is," he said fiercely, now looking straight into Dumbledore's blue eyes gleaming in the wandlight, "I'll make sure I take as many Death Eaters with me as I can, and Voldemort too if I can manage it."**

Everyone was grinning at him for that one.

"He really is just like his parents." Remus said to Sirius beaming at Harry too.

**"Spoken both like your mother and father's son and Sirius's true godson!" said Dumbledore, with an approving pat on Harry's back. "I take my hat off to you — or I would, if I were not afraid of showering you in spiders.**

**"And now, Harry, on a closely related subject… I gather that you have been taking the Daily Prophet over the last two weeks?"**

**"Yes," said Harry, and his heart beat a little faster.**

**"Then you will have seen that there have been not so much leaks as floods concerning your adventure in the Hall of Prophecy?"**

**"Yes," said Harry again. "And now everyone knows that I'm the one —"**

**"No, they do not," interrupted Dumbledore. "There are only two people in the whole world who know the full contents of the prophecy made about you and Lord Voldemort, and they are both standing in this smelly, spidery broom shed. It is true, however, that many have guessed, correctly, "that Voldemort sent his Death Eaters to steal a prophecy, and that the prophecy concerned you.**

"So they guess but they don't know the details."

**"Now, I think I am correct in saying that you have not told anybody that you know what the prophecy said?"**

**"No," said Harry.**

**"A wise decision, on the whole," said Dumbledore. "Although I think you ought to relax it in favour of your friends, Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger.**

**Yes," he continued, when Harry looked startled, "I think they ought to know. You do them a disservice by not confiding something this important to them."**

**"I didn't want —"**

**"— to worry or frighten them?" said Dumbledore, surveying Harry over the top of his half-moon spectacles. "Or perhaps, to confess that you yourself are worried and frightened? You need your friends, Harry. As you so rightly said, Sirius would not have wanted you to shut yourself away."**

"And you really wouldn't be anything without your friends," Sirius said. "Trust me I know."

**Harry said nothing, but Dumbledore did not seem to require an answer. He continued, "On a different, though related, subject, it is my wish that you take private lessons with me this year."**

"What?" Sirius shouted. "You get private lessons with Dumbledore."

"Awesome!" Ron said.

**"Private — with you?" said Harry, surprised out of his preoccupied silence.**

**"Yes. I think it is time that I took a greater hand in your education."**

**"What will you be teaching me, sir?"**

**"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," said Dumbledore airily.**

**Harry waited hopefully, but Dumbledore did not elaborate, so he asked something else that had been bothering him slightly.**

**"If I'm having lessons with you, I won't have to do Occlumency lessons with Snape, will I?"**

"No those were just a waste of time."

**''Professor Snape, Harry — and no, you will not."**

**"Good," said Harry in relief, "because they were a —"**

"A disaster! Severus finished for him.

**He stopped, careful not to say what he really thought.**

**"I think the word 'fiasco' would be a good one here," said Dumbledore, nodding.**

**Harry laughed.**

So did everyone else in the room but none more than Harry and Snape.

**"Well, that means I won't see much of Professor Snape from now on," he said, "because he won't let me carry on Potions unless I get 'Outstanding' in my OWL., which I know I haven't."**

**"Don't count your owls before they are delivered," said Dumbledore gravely. **

**"Which, now I think of it, ought to be some time later today. Now, two more things, Harry, before we part.**

**"Firstly, I wish you to keep your Invisibility Cloak with you at all times from this moment onward. Even within Hogwarts itself. Just in case, you understand me?"**

**Harry nodded.**

**"And lastly, while you stay here, the Burrow has been given the highest security the Ministry of Magic can provide. These measures have caused a certain amount of inconvenience to Arthur and Molly — all their post, for instance, is being searched at the Ministry before being sent on. They do not mind in the slightest, for their only concern is your safety. However, it would be poor repayment if you risked your neck while staying with them."**

"So wait until you get to Hogwarts okay pup," Sirius laughed.

"Don't say thing like that, Sirius!" Molly chastised

**"I understand," said Harry quickly.**

**"Very well, then," said Dumbledore, pushing open the broom shed door and stepping out into the yard. "I see a light in the kitchen. Let us not deprive Molly any longer of the chance to deplore how thin you are."**

"Which she will do as soon as you enter the house!" the twins said in unison.

"That was the end of the chapter." Ron said.

"Let's take a break to eat!" Molly said "Is there a kitchen here somewhere?"

_Look to your right._

_TRL_

Everyone looked to Molly's right and saw a door appear. Molly and Petunia went into the new found kitchen and started to prepare food for everyone.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N - Heyy i hope that you have liked the story so far. I haven't been able to put a disclaimer but none of the characters are mine they all belong to the wonderful J.K. Rowling! Hope that you enjoy this story as much as I enjoy writing it and if you have any ideas then don't hesitate to either put it in your review or PM me! Au Revior for now!**

"I'm going to go and see what's different around here, anyone care to join me?" Sirius said getting up and walking to the door.

"Wait! Sirius what if we're not allowed to leave" said Hermione, just then I note landed on her lap.

_Hermione,_

_We are not going to keep you here like prisoners, its winter break so no one is around._

_RW and SM_

"Ok, so I guess we can leave" said Hermione after reading the note. Just before everyone was about to leave Molly walked through the door.

"Where do you all think you are going?" she said looking at all the kids.

"We're just going to go look around mum" said Ginny

"Absolutely not!" Molly yelled.

"Dear let them go, we are all going as well, and besides it's Hogwarts the safest place around" said Arthur, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"Oh alright, I'll send a patronus to each of you when the food is ready" said Molly and then walked back into the kitchen.

Everyone started to file out of the portrait hole but before Hermione could Draco grabbed her arm "yes Draco" she said.

"Well, I was, um, was –" he said stuttering over his words and blushing a little, which Hermione thought was cute.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Well, I was wondering if wouldyouliketowalkwithme" he said talking at a hundred miles an hour.

"Sorry, but I didn't quite catch that, could you repeat the question please?" she asked trying to hold in a giggle.

"I said, would – you – like – to – walk – with – me?" he said emphasising each word.

"Um ok I guess" she said a little nervously, but why was she so nervous she didn't like him, right? After this they walked out of the portrait hole that was a group of teenagers sitting under an oak tree, and made their way down the stairs.

Once downstairs Hermione headed to her second favourite place on earth…..the library. "Wow the library, shocker there." Sniggered Draco, earning him a punch on the shoulder from Hermione. "Shut up Draco, I want to see if they have any new books, okay." She replied walk towards the restricted section with him trailing behind looking shocked.

Meanwhile Snape and Petunia were taking a stroll around the lake reminiscing together. "Listen Severus, I was jealous of you and Lily because you could do magic, and I realise now that it was wrong of me to be jealous and I could have easily been friends with you. I shouldn't have been horrible to Lily she was my sister, and still is, and it was wrong of me to shun her like I did. Please could you ever forgive me?" Petunia begged.

Snape kept walking as he took in what she had said, then "Listen Petunia, I do forgive you, but it was wrong of you to desert Lily like that," he said her name with such tenderness that Petunia was surprised, he liked her more than just a friend then. "Oh, thank you Severus, I was so worried that you weren't going to forgive me…" she trailed off looking distracted, which didn't go unnoticed by Snape.

"Listen Petunia, is there anything wrong because you look distracted?" he asked, looking worried. "What? Oh um, well yes. Vernon has been particularly nasty towards Dudley and myself lately and it is beginning to scare me a little." She said, looking a little frightened.

"Petunia. I will do **everything **in my power to get you out of this relationship. Understand?" He said looking her straight in the eyes. She nodded slowly. "But, I have a question for you first." He said, looking slightly nervous. He got down onto one knee, conjured up a small ring box and said "Petunia Evans, will you marry me?" She looked shocked after a while she answered "Of course I will Severus!" she looked puzzled but didn't say anything further and they continued on their walk in silence.

"Hey Harry are you okay? You have been really quiet since we left the room." Ginny asked Harry as they walked around by the school greenhouses. "Hmm? Oh, yea I'm fine Gin." He replied with a distant look on his face._ (A/N. a little like Luna Lovegood looks.)_.

"You're not, now what's the matter?" She said, looking him in the eye sternly. "It's just unnerving that, you know, that Snape, Aunt Petunia and Draco all apologized….it just freaked me out a little." He said looking distant (_A/N. like Luna again.)_

"Mm, I know but it's not just that is it?" she said, when he nodded his head she continued, "Your worried about the fact that everyone is going to see what you have been thinking all year." She looked worried when he didn't reply.

"Harry?" she whispered cautiously. "Hmm? Oh well, I am really worried about what everyone will think, as not all of my thoughts are pleasant this year." he said, looking anywhere but her. "STOP. Harry look at me and listen, we all understand what you are going through this year and none of us will blame you for anything that you think. Okay?" She said firmly, looking straight sat him and not moving her eyes until he finally gave up and looked down at her. Their hands were entwined and placed on her hips. After a few moments she popped up on her toes and planted a kiss on his lips. After they broke apart she whispered "Come on you, we have to get back before mum starts to worry too much." Smiling they walked back up to the castle hand in hand neither realising that Hermoine was watching them smiling from a library window.

After a quick lunch everyone sat down again. "so are we going to start reading again or what?" asked Ginny from her position next to harry. "Can I read Ginny?" Fleur asked. "Sure thing, Fleur." said Ginny handing the book to her. "Okay, this chapter is called **An Excess of Phlegm**." She read and then continued


	7. Chapter 7

_A/N- hey guys sorry it took me so long to update this story it is gonna be a little hard cause im back at school and everything so...just hang in there. I promise to finish the books, because i HATE writers that don't finish the books if they promise to._

_So heres the next chapter and i hope you enjoy it.  
><em>

_bridget xx_

Chapter Five

Excess of Phlegm

**"Excess of Phlegm," **Harry read.

**Harry and Dumbledore approached the back door of the Burrow, which was surrounded by the familiar litter of old Wellington boots and rusty cauldrons; Harry could hear the soft clucking of sleepy chickens coming from a distant shed. Dumbledore knocked three times and Harry saw sudden movement behind the kitchen window.**

**"Who's there?" said a nervous voice he recognized as Mrs. Weasley's. "Declare yourself!"**

"Hmm mum must have been quite stressed." Said Ron.

Molly nodded "I was. I was worried that we would be attacked every day and I ended taking my clock everywhere with me." She said, looking tearful.

**"It is I, Dumbledore, bringing Harry."**

**The door opened at once. There stood Mrs. Weasley, short, plump, and wearing an old green dressing gown.**

**"Harry, dear! Gracious, Albus, you gave me a fright, you said not to expect you before morning!"**

**"We were lucky," said Dumbledore, ushering Harry over the threshold. "Slughorn proved much more persuadable than I had expected. Harry's doing, of course. Ah, hello, Nymphadora!"**

Tonks jumped and scowled at her name. Nearly all the boys laughed.

Ron whistled "Only Dumbledore can get away with calling you that hey, Tonks." That only made her scowl harder.

**Harry looked around and saw that Mrs. Weasley was not alone, despite the lateness of the hour. A young witch with a pale, heart-shaped face and mousy brown hair was sitting at the table clutching a large mug between her hands.**

**"Hello, Professor," she said. "Wotcher, Harry."**

**"Hi, Tonks."**

**Harry thought she looked drawn, even ill, and there was something forced in her smile. Certainly her appearance was less colorful than usual without her customary shade of bubble-gum-pink hair.**

**"I'd better be off," she said quickly, standing up and pulling her cloak around her shoulders. "Thanks for the tea and sympathy, Molly"**

Remus looked thoughtful but kept quiet.

**"Please don't leave on my account," said Dumbledore courteously, "I cannot stay, I have urgent matters to discuss with Rufus Scrimgeour."**

**"Dear, why not come to dinner at the weekend, Remus and Mad-Eye are coming…?"**

**"No, really, Molly… thanks anyway… Good night, every-one**."

"How could you decline Molly Weasley's cooking tonks?" gasped Sirius in mock horror. Everyone laughed at that and most people agreed.

**Tonks hurried past Dumbledore and Harry into the yard; a few paces beyond the doorstep, she turned on the spot and vanished into thin air. Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley looked troubled.**

"I wonder what's wrong with her, Tonks I meant." Said Petunia.

"I am here you know." Tonks exclaimed

"Sorry dear." Petunia replied. Tonks smiled at her and mouthed _that's okay._

**"Well, I shall see you at Hogwarts, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Take care of yourself. Molly, your servant."**

**He made Mrs. Weasley a bow and followed Tonks, vanishing at precisely the same spot. **

**Mrs. Weasley closed the door on the empty yard and then steered Harry by the shoulders into the full glow of the lantern on the table to examine his appearance.**

**"You're like Ron," she sighed, looking him up and down. "Both of you look as though you've had Stretching jinxes put on you. I swear Ron's grown four inches since I last bought him school robes. Are you hungry, Harry?"**

**"Yeah, I am," said Harry, suddenly realizing just how hungry he was,**

**"Sit down, dear, I'll knock something up."**

**As Harry sat down, a furry ginger cat with a squashed face lumped onto his knees and settled there, purring.**

**"So Hermione's here?" he asked happily as he tickled Crookshanks behind the ears.**

"oh that's nice, remember me because of my cat, not because your curious!" Hermoine mock huffed

"Sorry Mione but Crookshanks probably reminded me or something"

**"Oh yes, she arrived the day before yesterday," said Mrs. Weasley, rapping a large iron pot with her wand. It bounced onto the stove with a loud clang and began to bubble at once. "Everyone's in bed, of course, we didn't expect you for hours. Here you are…"**

**She tapped the pot again; it rose into the air, flew toward Harry, and tipped over; Mrs. Weasley slid a bowl nearly beneath it just in time to catch the stream of thick, steaming onion soup**

**"Bread, dear?"**

**"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley."**

**She waved her wand over her shoulder; a loaf of bread and a knife soared gracefully onto the table; as the loaf sliced itself and the soup pot dropped back onto the stove, Mrs. Weasley sat down opposite him.**

**"So you persuaded Horace Slughorn to take the job?"**

**Harry nodded, his mouth so full of hot soup that he could not speak.**

**"He taught Arthur and me," said Mrs. Weasley. "He was at Hogwarts for ages, started around the same time as Dumbledore, I think. Did you like him?"**

"Hmm…." Arthur started

"What's up Arthur?" Sirius asked

"Oh nothing Sirius, just I didn't like Slughorn very much." Arthur replied frowning

"Neither did James and myself, Slughorn was very prejudice towards werewolves and was very unfriendly towards Remus so we didn't like him very much." Sirius replied sharing a look and a smile with Remus who smiled gratefully back.

**His mouth now full of bread, Harry shrugged and gave a noncommittal jerk of the head.**

**"I know what you mean," said Mrs. Weasley, nodding wisely. "Of course he can be charming when he wants to be, but Arthur's never liked him much. The Ministry's littered with Slughorn's old favorites, he was always good at giving leg ups, but he never had much time for Arthur… didn't seem to think he was enough of a highflier. Well, that just shows you, even Slughorn makes mistakes. I don't know whether Ron's told you in any of his letters… it's only just happened… but Arthur's been promoted!"**

**It could not have been clearer that Mrs. Weasley had been bursting to say this.**

**Harry swallowed a large amount of very hot soup and thought he could feel his throat blistering.**

**"That's great!" he gasped.**

**"You are sweet," beamed Mrs. Weasley, possibly taking his watering eyes for emotion at the news. **

The room burst out laughing as Harry and Molly went red.

**"Yes, Rufus Scrimgeour has set up several new offices in response to the present situation, and Arthur's heading the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. It's a big job, he's got ten people reporting to him now!"**

**"What exactly?"**

**"Well, you see, in all the panic about You-Know-Who, odd things have been cropping up for sale everywhere, things that are supposed to guard against You-Know-Who and the Death Eaters. **

**You can imagine the kind of thing… so-called protective potions that are really gravy with a bit of bubotuber pus added, or instructions for defensive jinxes that actually make your ears fall off… Well, in the main the perpetrators are just people like Mundungus Fletcher, who've never done an honest day's work in their lives and are taking advantage of how frightened everybody is, but every now and then something really nasty turns up. The other day Arthur confiscated a box of cursed Sneakoscopes that were almost certainly planted by a Death Eater. So you see, it's a very important job, and I tell him it's just silly to miss dealing with spark plugs and toasters and all the rest of that Muggle rubbish." Mrs. Weasley ended her speech with a stern look, as if it had been Harry suggesting that it was natural to miss spark plugs.**

**"Is Mr. Weasley still at work?" Harry asked. **

"Thanks for asking Harry."

"No problem Mr Weasley." Harry replied blushing a little.

**"Yes, he is. As a matter of fact, he's a tiny bit late… He said he'd be back around midnight…"**

**She turned to look at a large clock that was perched awkwardly on top of a pile of sheets in the washing basket at the end of the table. Harry recognized it at once: It had nine hands, each inscribed with the name of a family member, and usually hung on the Weasleys' sitting room wall, though its current position suggested that Mrs. Weasley had taken to carrying it around the house with her.**

**Every single one of its nine hands was now pointing at "mortal peril."**

**"It's been like that for a while now," said Mrs. Weasley, in an unconvincingly casual voice, "ever since You-Know-Who came back into the open. I suppose everybody's in mortal danger now… I don't think it can be just our family… but I don't know anyone else who's got a clock like this, so I can't check. Oh!"**

"Yup, sounds like you're really worried about everyone mum, even this prat." Remarked Fred and George in unison pointing at Percy, who scowled,.

**With a sudden exclamation she pointed at the clock's face. Mr. Weasley's hand had switched to "traveling."**

**"He's coming!"**

**And sure enough, a moment later there was a knock on the back door. Mrs. Weasley jumped up and hurried to it; with one hand on the doorknob and her face pressed against the wood she called softly, "Arthur, is that you?"**

**"Yes," came Mr. Weasley's weary voice. "But I would say that even if I were a Death Eater, dear. Ask the question!"**

**"Oh, honestly…"**

**"Molly!"**

**"All right, all right… What is your dearest ambition?"**

**"To find out how airplanes stay up."**

Arthur looked at Hermoine and was about to speak when she said "How about you ask me when the chapters over and I will try and explain it to you." Arthur nodded and motioned to Harry to continue

**Mrs. Weasley nodded and turned the doorknob, but apparently Mr. Weasley was holding tight to it on the other side, because the door remained firmly shut.**

**"Molly! I've got to ask you your question first!"**

**"Arthur, really, this is just silly…"**

**"What do you like me to call you when we're alone together?"**

**Even by the dim light of the lantern Harry could tell that Mrs. Weasley had turned bright red; he himself felt suddenly warm around the ears and neck, and hastily gulped soup, clattering his spoon as loudly as he could against the bowl.**

**"Mollywobbles," whispered a mortified Mrs. Weasley into the crack at the edge of the door.**

Mrs Weasley if possible went even redder at that, as most of the room cracked up laughing. (_A/N: I think that you can guess who the people who don't laugh are so I'm not going to say who they are)_

**"Correct," said Mr. Weasley. "Now you can let me in."**

**Mrs. Weasley opened the door to reveal her husband, a thin, balding, red-haired wizard wearing horn-rimmed spectacles and a long and dusty traveling cloak.**

**"I still don't see why we have to go through that every time you come home," said Mrs. Weasley, still pink in the face as she helped her husband out of his cloak. "I mean, a Death Eater might have forced the answer out of you before impersonating you!"**

**"I know, dear, but it's Ministry procedure, and I have to set an example. Something smells good… onion soup?"**

**Mr. Weasley turned hopefully in the direction of the table.**

**"Harry! We didn't expect you until morning!"**

"That means that you were quicker at persuading Slughorn than Dumbledore thought." Remus mused.

**They shook hands, and Mr. Weasley dropped into the chair beside Harry as Mrs. Weasley set a bowl of soup in front of him too**.

**"Thanks, Molly. It's been a tough night. Some idiot's started selling Metamorph-Medals. Just sling them around your neck and you'll be able to change your appearance at will. A hundred thousand disguises, all for ten Galleons!"**

**"And what really happens when you put them on?"**

**"Mostly you just turn a fairly unpleasant orange color, but a couple of people have also sprouted tentacle like warts all over their bodies. As if St. Mungo's didn't have enough to do already!" **

"Sounds a little like that start of the first war." Said Remus and the people who lived through the first war all nodded and agreed

**"It sounds like the sort of thing Fred and George would find funny," said Mrs. Weasley hesitantly. "Are you sure…?"**

**"Of course I am!" said Mr. Weasley. "The boys wouldn't do anything like that now, not when people are desperate for protection!"**

"Aww... C'mon mum we wouldn't do anything like that." Fred and George whined

**"So is that why you're late, Metamorph-Medals?"**

**"No, we got wind of a nasty backfiring jinx down in Elephant and Castle, but luckily the Magical Law Enforcement Squad had sorted it out by the time we got there…"**

**Harry stifled a yawn behind his hand.**

**"Bed," said an undeceived Mrs. Weasley at once. "I've got Fred and George's room all ready for you, you'll have it to yourself."**

**"Why, where are they?"**

**"Oh, they're in Diagon Alley, sleeping in the little flat over their joke shop as they're so busy," said Mrs. Weasley. "I must say, I didn't approve at first, but they do seem to have a bit of a flair for business! Come on, dear, your trunks already up there."**

Fred and George jumped up and started running around the room chanting "_we converted mum, we converted mum!" _ While the rest of the room watched on in amusement.

"FRED, GEORGE SIT DOWN!" Mrs Weasley yelled over the twins shouting, needless to say the twins sat down looking a little sheepish.

**"'Night, Mr. Weasley," said Harry, pushing back his chair. Crookshanks leapt lightly from his lap and slunk out of the room.**

**"G'night, Harry," said Mr. Weasley.**

**Harry saw Mrs. Weasley glance at the clock in the washing basket as they left the kitchen. All the hands were once again at "mortal peril."**

**Fred and George's bedroom was on the second floor. Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at a lamp on the bedside table and it ignited at once, bathing the room in a pleasant golden glow. Though a large vase of flowers had been placed on a desk in front of the small window, their perfume could not disguise the lingering smell of what Harry thought was gunpowder. **

"Probably was." Ginny heard Hermoine mutter sarcastically.

**A considerable amount of floor space was devoted to a vast number of unmarked, sealed cardboard boxes, amongst which stood Harry's school trunk. The room looked as though it was being used as a temporary warehouse.**

**Hedwig hooted happily at Harry from her perch on top of a large wardrobe, then took off through the window; Harry knew she had been waiting to see him before going hunting. Harry bade Mrs. Weasley good night, put on pajamas, and got into one of the beds. There was something hard inside the pillowcase. He groped inside it and pulled out a sticky purple-and-orange sweet, which he recognized as a Puking Pastille.** Fred and George exchanged smiles.** Smiling to himself, he rolled over and was instantly asleep.**

**Seconds later, or so it seemed to Harry, he was awakened by what sounded like cannon fire as the door burst open. Sitting bolt upright, he heard the rasp of the curtains being pulled back: The dazzling sunlight seemed to poke him hard in both eyes. Shielding them with one hand, he groped hopelessly for his glasses with the other.**

"And here are the two best friends." Sirius said grinning at Ron and Hermoine.

**"Wuzzgoinon?"**

**"We didn't know you were here already!" said a loud and excited voice, and he received a sharp blow to the top of the head.**

**"Ron, don't hit him!" said a girl's voice reproachfully.**

The room started laughing, as Ron slowly went red

**Harry's hand found his glasses and he shoved them on, though the light was so bright he could hardly see anyway. A long, looming shadow quivered in front of him for a moment; he blinked and Ron Weasley came into focus, grinning down at him.**

**"All right?"**

**"Never been better," said Harry, rubbing the top of his head and slumping back onto his pillows. "You?"**

"Funny how you say never better after being thumped by your best friend." Sirius remarked, needless to say several pillows were thrown at him.

**"Not bad," said Ron, pulling over a cardboard box and sitting on it. "When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!"**

**"About one o'clock this morning."**

**"Were the Muggles all right? Did they treat you okay?"**

**"Same as usual," said Harry, as Hermione perched herself on the edge of his bed, "they didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you, Hermione?"**

**"Oh, I'm fine," said Hermione, who was scrutinizing Harry as though he was sickening for something. **

"Sounds like I'm worried about you, Harry." Hermoine stated. "You're always worried about me Mione."

**He thought he knew what was behind this, and as he had no wish to discuss Sirius's death or any other miserable subject at the moment, he said, "What's the time? Have I missed breakfast?"**

**"Don't worry about that, Mum's bringing you up a tray; she reckons you look underfed," said Ron, rolling his eyes. **

"Ron!"

**"So, what's been going on?"**

**"Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's, haven't I?"**

**"Come off it!" said Ron. "You've been off with Dumbledore!"**

**"It wasn't that exciting. He just wanted me to help him persuade this old teacher to come out of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn."**

**"Oh," said Ron, looking disappointed. "We thought…"**

**Hermione flashed a warning look at Ron, and Ron changed tack at top speed.**

**"… we thought it'd be something like that."**

"You did?" asked Ginny, amused.

**"You did?" said Harry, amused.**

The room was suddenly filled with laughing people, until "SHUT UP! So what if I said the same thing as harry, it's not a bad thing is it?" Ginny pretty much yelled, which scared half the people in the room. Harry laughed and pulled her down so that she was sitting next to him.

**"Yeah… yeah, now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"**

**"He looks a bit like a walrus, and he used to be Head of Slytherin," said Harry. **

"Nice description harry."

**"Something wrong, Hermione?"**

**She was watching him as though expecting strange symptoms to manifest themselves at any moment. She rearranged her features hastily in an unconvincing smile.**

**"No, of course not! So, um, did Slughorn seem like he'll be a good teacher?"**

**"Dunno," said Harry. "He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?"**

**"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," said a voice from the doorway. Ron's younger sister slouched into the room, looking irritable**

"Still Ron's younger sister, but I know he loves me now." Ginny muttered to herself, Hermione smiled at her knowingly.

**"Hi, Harry."**

**"What's up with you?" Ron asked.**

**"It's her," said Ginny, plonking herself down on Harry's bed. "She's driving me mad."**

**"What's she done now?" asked Hermione sympathetically.**

"who are you talking about?"

**"It's the way she talks to me… you'd think I was about three!"**

**"I know," said Hermione, dropping her voice. "She's so full of herself."**

**Harry was astonished to hear Hermione talking about Mrs. Weasley **

"I don't think we're talking about Mrs Weasley harry." Hermoine commented

**like this and could not blame Ron for saying angrily, "Can't you two lay off her for five seconds?"**

**"Oh, that's right, defend her," snapped Ginny. "We all know you can't get enough of her."**

**This seemed an odd comment to make about Ron's mother. Starting to feel that he was missing something, Harry said, "Who are you…?"**

**But his question was answered before he could finish it. The bedroom door flew open again, and Harry instinctively yanked the bedcovers up to his chin so hard that Hermione and Ginny slid off the bed onto the floor.**

**A young woman was standing in the doorway, a woman of such breathtaking beauty that the room seemed to have become strangely airless.**

"Oh."

**She was tall and willowy with long blonde hair and appeared to emanate a faint, silvery glow. To complete this vision of perfection, she was carrying a heavily laden breakfast tray.**

**"'Arry," she said in a throaty voice. "Eet 'as been too long!"**

**As she swept over the threshold toward him, Mrs. Weasley was revealed, bobbing along in her wake, looking rather cross.**

"We're so sorry fleur." Hemoine and Ginny said in sync. Fleur shook her head _(A/N. I apologise but I can't write a French accent so if its bad…..)_ "Eet is okay. I understand you mustn't like me too much at this time."

**"There was no need to bring up the tray, I was just about to do it myself!"**

**"Eet was no trouble," said Fleur Delacour, setting the tray across Harry's knees and then swooping to kiss him on each cheek: He felt the places where her mouth had touched him burn. "I 'ave been longing to see 'im. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again."**

**"Oh… is she here too?" Harry croaked.**

**"No, no, silly boy," said Fleur with a tinkling laugh, "I mean next summer, when we… but do you not know?"**

**Her great blue eyes widened and she looked reproachfully at Mrs. Weasley, who said, "We hadn't got around to telling him yet."**

**Fleur turned back to Harry, swinging her silvery sheet of hair so that it whipped Mrs. Weasley across the face. "Bill and I are going to be married!"**

**"Oh," said Harry blankly. He could not help noticing how Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny were all determinedly avoiding one another's gaze. **

All three looed extremely embarrassed now.

**"Wow. Er… congratulations!"**

**She swooped down upon him and kissed him again.**

**"Bill is very busy at ze moment, working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear you would be coming… zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens! Well… enjoy your breakfast, 'Arry!"**

**With these words she turned gracefully and seemed to float out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.**

**Mrs. Weasley made a noise that sounded like, "tchah!"**

**"Mum hates her," said Ginny quietly.**

"Ginny!"

**"I do not hate her!" said Mrs. Weasley in a cross whisper. **

**"I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!"**

**"They've known each other a year," said Ron, who looked oddly groggy and was staring at the closed door.**

**"Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. Its all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and center…"**

**"Including you and Dad," said Ginny slyly.**

Molly and Arthur both went Weasley red.

**"Yes, well, your father and I were made for each other, what was the point in waiting?" said Mrs. Weasley. "Whereas Bill and Fleur… well… what have they really got in common? He's a hardworking, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's…"**

**"A cow," said Ginny, nodding**.** "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a Curse-Breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour… I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm."**

"Sorry, Fleur." Ginny said wincing.

"Zat ees okay Ginny." said Fleur with a smile.

**"Stop calling her that, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley sharply, as Harry and Hermione laughed. "Well, I'd better get on… Eat your eggs while they're warm, Harry."**

**Looking careworn, she left the room. Ron still seemed slightly punch-drunk; he was shaking his head experimentally like a dog trying to rid its ears of water. **

Everyone laughed

**"Don't you get used to her if she's staying in the same house?" Harry asked.**

**"Well, you do," said Ron, "but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then…"**

**"It's pathetic," said Hermione furiously, striding away from Ron as far as she could go and turning to face him with her arms folded once she had reached the wall.**

"Jealous Mione?" Ginny whispered to a growing red Hermione.

"NO." Hermione whispered back furiously to a silently giggling Ginny

**"You don't really want her around forever?" Ginny asked Ron incredulously. When he merely shrugged, she said, "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."**

**"How's she going to manage that?" asked Harry.**

**"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."**

Wince. "I really am sorry fleur." Ginny said to fleur who waved off the apology and snuggled down into Bill.

**"Yeah, that'll work," said Ron sarcastically. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around.I mean, Tonks is okay- looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but…"**

"Thanks Ron, thanks a lot." Said Tonks in a mock hurt voice, convincing him for a second before ruining it by laughing.

**"She's a damn sight nicer than Phlegm?" said Ginny.**

"Thankyou Ginny."

**"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror!" said Hermione from the corner.**

"and Hermoine!" Tonks exclaimed.

**"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament," said Harry.**

**"Not you as well!" said Hermione bitterly.**

**"I suppose you like the way Phlegm says ''Arry,' do you?" asked Ginny scornfully.**

**"No," said Harry, wishing he hadn't spoken, "I was just saying, Phlegm… I mean, Fleur…"**

**"I'd much rather have Tonks in the family," said Ginny. "At least she's a laugh."**

**"She hasn't been much of a laugh lately," said Ron. "Every time I've seen her she's looked more like Moaning Myrtle."**

"Hmmm. That doesn't sound like me." Tonks said quietly.

**"That's not fair," snapped Hermione. "She still hasn't got over what happened… you know… I mean, he was her cousin!"**

"That's an idea but I don't think that it is that which is the problem." Tonks explained to Hermione.

**Harry's heart sank. They had arrived at Sirius. He picked up a fork and began shoveling scrambled eggs into his mouth, hoping to deflect any invitation to join in this part of the conversation.**

**"Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other!" said Ron. "Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that their families never met…"**

**"That's not the point," said Hermione. "She thinks it was her fault he died!"**

**"How does she work that one out?" asked Harry, in spite of himself.**

**"Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn't she? I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn't have killed Sirius."**

**"That's stupid," said Ron.**

"I would have to agree with Ron there Hermione." Remus said

**"It's survivor's guilt," said Hermione. "I know Lupin's tried to talk her round, but she's still really down. She's actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing!"**

**"With her…?"**

"It must be pretty serious then." Tonks mused.

**"She can't change her appearance like she used to," explained Hermione. "I think her powers must have been affected by shock, or something."**

**"I didn't know that could happen," said Harry.**

**"Nor did I," said Hermione, "but I suppose if you're really depressed…"**

**The door opened again and Mrs. Weasley popped her head in. "Ginny," she whispered, "come downstairs and help me with the lunch."**

**"I'm talking to this lot!" said Ginny, outraged.**

**"Now!" said Mrs. Weasley, and withdrew.**

**"She only wants me there so she doesn't have to be alone with Phlegm!" said Ginny crossly. She swung her long red hair around in a very good imitation of Fleur and pranced across the room with her arms held aloft like a ballerina.**

**"You lot had better come down quickly too," she said as she left.**

**Harry took advantage of the temporary silence to eat more breakfast. Hermione was peering into Fred and George's boxes, though every now and then she cast sideways looks at Harry. Ron, who was now helping himself to Harry's toast, was still gazing dreamily at the door.**

**"What's this?" Hermione asked eventually, holding up what looked like a small telescope. **

"I wouldn't touch most of the stuff in there is I were you Hermione." Fred said with George nodding in agreement.

**"Dunno," said Ron, "but if Fred and George left it here, it's probably not ready for the joke shop yet, so be careful"**

**"Your mum said the shop's going well," said Harry. "Said Fred and George have got a real flair for business."**

**"That's an understatement," said Ron. "They're raking in the Galleons! I can't wait to see the place, we haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, because Mum says Dad's got to be there for extra security and he's been really busy at work, but it sounds excellent."**

**"And what about Percy?" asked Harry; the third-eldest Weasley brother had fallen out with the rest of the family. "Is he talking to your mum and dad again?"**

The mood in the room instantly got darker and more serious.

**"Nope," said Ron.**

**"But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being back —"**

**"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right," said Hermione. "I heard him telling your mum, Ron."**

**"Sounds like the sort of mental thing Dumbledore would say," said Ron.**

"Sorry, professor." Said a sheepish Ron to a chuckling Dumbledore.

**"He's going to be giving me private lessons this year," said Harry conversationally.**

**Ron choked on his bit of toast, and Hermione gasped.**

**"You kept that quiet!" said Ron.**

**"I only just remembered," said Harry honestly. "He told me last night in your broom shed."**

**"Blimey… private lessons with Dumbledore!" said Ron, looking impressed. "I wonder why he's…?"**

**His voice tailed away. Harry saw him and Hermione exchange looks. Harry laid down his knife and fork, his heart beating rather fast considering that all he was doing was sitting in bed. Dumbledore had said to do it… Why not now? He fixed his eyes on his fork, which was gleaming in the sunlight streaming into his lap, and said, "I don't know exactly why he's going to be giving me lessons, but I think it must be because of the prophecy."**

**Neither Ron nor Hermione spoke. Harry had the impression that both had frozen. He continued, still speaking to his fork, "You know, the one they were trying to steal at the Ministry."**

**"Nobody knows what it said, though," said Hermione quickly. "It got smashed."**

**"Although the Prophet says…" began Ron, but Hermione said, "Shh!"**

"The prophet has it right though." Said Ginny from her spot next to Harry.

**"The Prophet's got it right," said Harry, looking up at them both with a great effort: Hermione seemed frightened and Ron amazed. **

**"That glass ball that smashed wasn't the only record of the prophecy. I heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office, he was the one the prophecy was made to, so he could tell me. From what it said," Harry took a deep breath, "it looks like I'm the one who's got to finish off Voldemort… At least, it said neither of us could live while the other survives."**

**The three of them gazed at one another in silence for a moment. Then there was a loud bang and Hermione vanished behind a puff of black smoke.**

**"Hermione!" shouted Harry and Ron; the breakfast tray slid to the floor with a crash.**

**Hermione emerged, coughing, out of the smoke, clutching the telescope and sporting a brilliantly purple black eye. **

"Can't," started Fred,

"Say that," continued George,

"We told you so." The finished together. Hermione could decide on what to say so she just settled on glaring at them.

**"I squeezed it and it… it punched me!" she gasped.**

**And sure enough, they now saw a tiny fist on a long spring protruding from the end of the telescope.**

**"Don't worry," said Ron, who was plainly trying not to laugh, "Mum'll fix that, she's good at healing minor injuries…"**

"Not wrong there." Said most of the Weasley children

**"Oh well, never mind that now!" said Hermione hastily. "Harry, oh, Harry…"**

**She sat down on the edge of his bed again.**

**"We wondered, after we got back from the Ministry… Obviously, we didn't want to say anything to you, but from what Lucius Malfoy said about the prophecy, how it was about you and Voldemort, well, we thought it might be something like this… Oh, Harry…" She stared at him, then whispered, "Are you scared?"**

**"Not as much as I was," said Harry. "When I first heard it, I was… but now, it seems as though I always knew I'd have to face him in the end…"**

**"When we heard Dumbledore was collecting you in person, we thought he might be telling you something or showing you something to do with the prophecy," said Ron eagerly. "And we were kind of right, weren't we? He wouldn't be giving you lessons if he thought you were a goner, wouldn't waste his time — he must think you've got a chance!"**

"Nice way of putting it Ron." Said Sirius, laughing.

**"That's true," said Hermione. "I wonder what he'll teach you, Harry? Really advanced defensive magic, probably… powerful countercurses… anti-jinxes…"**

**Harry did not really listen. A warmth was spreading through him that had nothing to do with the sunlight; a tight obstruction in his chest seemed to be dissolving. He knew that Ron and Hermione were more shocked than they were letting on, but the mere fact that they were still there on either** **side of him, speaking bracing words of comfort, not shrinking from him as though he were contaminated or dangerous, was worth more than he could ever tell them.**

"Really Harry?" Ron and Hermione asked together. "We would never leave you, ever."

**"… and evasive enchantments generally," concluded Hermione. "Well, at least you know one lesson you'll be having this year, that's one more than Ron and me. I wonder when our OWL results will come?"**

**"Can't be long now, it's been a month," said Ron.**

**"Hang on," said Harry, as another part of last night's conversation came back to him. "I think Dumbledore said our OWL results would be arriving today!"**

"Way to break it to her gently, love." Ginny said laughing.

Harry just laughed softly and kissed her on. There was a squeal from Mrs Weasley and the Weasley boy all looked livid.

"What. Have you been doing with our sister." Ron asked angrily. Before Harry could reply Ginny pretty much shouted "Why is it your business what I've been doing with harry. I have dumped Dean and you said yourself Ron that you would rather it to be Harry than any other boy. And I may as well tell you now I am going out with Harry whether you like it or not. And another thing HE'S YOUR BEST MATE!" And she sat down looking livid, Harry wrapped his arms around her and kissed her on the cheek which seemed to calm her down a little.

"Well just be careful, please." Said Ron meekly.

**"Today?" shrieked Hermione. "Today? But why didn't you… oh my God… you should have said…"**

**She leapt to her feet.**

**"I'm going to see whether any owls have come…"**

**But when Harry arrived downstairs ten minutes later, fully dressed and carrying his empty breakfast tray, it was to find Hermione sitting at the kitchen table in great agitation, while Mrs. Weasley tried to lessen her resemblance to half a panda.**

**"It just won't budge," Mrs. Weasley was saying anxiously, standing over Hermione with her wand in her hand and a copy of The Healer's Helpmate open at "Bruises, Cuts, and Abrasions." "This has always worked before, I just can't understand it."**

**"It'll be Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can't come off," said Ginny.**

"Right you are there, Ginny." Said Fred and George carefully together.

**"But it's got to come off!" squeaked Hermione. "I can't go around looking like this forever!"**

**"You won't, dear, we'll find an antidote, don't worry," said Mrs. Weasley soothingly.**

**"Bill told me Fred and George are very amusing!" said Fleur, smiling serenely.**

**"Yes, I can hardly breathe for laughing," snapped Hermione.**

**She jumped up and started walking round and round the kitchen, twisting her fingers together.**

**"Mrs. Weasley, you're quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?"**

**"Yes, dear, I'd have noticed," said Mrs. Weasley patiently. "But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time…"**

**"I know I messed up Ancient Runes," muttered Hermione feverishly, "I definitely made at least one serious mistranslation. And the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical was no good at all. I thought Transfiguration went all right at the time, but looking back —"**

**"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous!" barked Ron. "And when you've got your eleven 'Outstanding' OWLs…"**

Everyone laughed, apparently trying to forget Ginny's outburst, though the tension in the room was high.

**"Don't, don't, don't!" said Hermione, flapping her hands hysterically. "I know I've failed everything!"**

**"What happens if we fail?" Harry asked the room at large, but it was again Hermione who answered.**

**"We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonagall at the end of last term."**

**Harry's stomach squirmed. He wished he had eaten less breakfast.**

**"At Beauxbatons," said Fleur complacently, "we 'ad a different way of doing things. I think eet was better. We sat our examinations after six years of study, not five, and then…"**

**Fleur's words were drowned in a scream. Hermione was pointing through the kitchen window. Three black specks were clearly visible in the sky, growing larger all the time.**

**"They're definitely owls," said Ron hoarsely, jumping up to join Hermione at the window.**

**"And there are three of them," said Harry, hastening to her other side.**

**"One for each of us," said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Oh no… oh no… oh no…"**

**She gripped both Harry and Ron tightly around the elbows.**

Everyone laughed, though they were anxious to find out what the trio had gotten.

**The owls were flying directly at the Burrow, three handsome tawnies, each of which, it became clear as they flew lower over the path leading up to the house, was carrying a large square envelope.**

**"Oh no!" squealed Hermione.**

**Mrs. Weasley squeezed past them and opened the kitchen window. One, two, three, the owls soared through it and landed on the table in a neat line. All three of them lifted their right legs.**

**Harry moved forward. The letter addressed to him was tied to the leg of the owl in the middle. He untied it with fumbling fingers. To his left, Ron was trying to detach his own results; to his right, Hermione's hands were shaking so much she was making her whole owl tremble.**

**Nobody in the kitchen spoke. At last, Harry managed to detach the envelope. He slit it open quickly and unfolded the parchment inside.**

**Ordinary Wizarding Level Results**

**Pass Grades:**

**Outstanding (O)**

**Exceeds Expectations (E)**

**Acceptable (A)**

**Fail Grades:**

**Poor (P)**

**Dreadful (D)**

**Troll (T)**

**Harry James Potter has achieved:**

**Astronomy: A**

**Care of Magical Creatures: E**

**Charms: E**

**Defense Against the Dark Arts: O**

**Divination: P**

**Herbology: E**

**History of Magic: D**

**Potions: E**

**Transfiguration: E**

"They're not bad results, Harry." Remus congratulated him.

**Harry read the parchment through several times, his breathing becoming easier with each reading. It was all right: He had always known that he would fail Divination, and he had had no chance of passing History of Magic, given that he had collapsed halfway through the examination, but he had passed everything else! He ran his finger down the grades… he had passed well in Transfiguration and Herbology, he had even exceeded expectations at Potions! And best of all, he had achieved "Outstanding" at Defense Against the Dark Arts!**

**He looked around. Hermione had her back to him and her head bent, but Ron was looking delighted.**

**"Only failed Divination and History of Magic, and who cares about them?" he said happily to Harry. "Here… swap…"**

**Harry glanced down Ron's grades: There were no "Outstandings" there…**

**"Knew you'd be top at Defense Against the Dark Arts," said Ron, punching Harry on the shoulder. "We've done all right, haven't we?"**

**"Well done!" said Mrs. Weasley proudly, ruffling Ron's hair. "Seven OWLs, that's more than Fred and George got together!"**

**"Hermione?" said Ginny tentatively, for Hermione still hadn't turned around. "How did you do?"**

**"I — not bad," said Hermione in a small voice.**

**"Oh, come off it," said Ron, striding over to her and whipping her results out of her hand. "Yep… ten 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' at Defense Against the Dark Arts." He looked down at her, half-amused, half-exasperated. "You're actually disappointed, aren't you?"**

**Hermione shook her head, but Harry laughed.**

"Yes you are Mione don't deny it." Ginny teased.

**"Well, we're N.E.W.T. students now!" grinned Ron. "Mum, are there any more sausages?"**

**Harry looked back down at his results. They were as good as he could have hoped for. He felt just one tiny twinge of regret… This was the end of his ambition to become an Auror. He had not secured the required Potions grade. He had known all along that he wouldn't, but he still felt a sinking in his stomach as he looked again at that small black E.**

**It was odd, really, seeing that it had been a Death Eater in disguise who had first told Harry he would make a good Auror, but somehow the idea had taken hold of him, and he couldn't really think of anything else he would like to be. Moreover, it had seemed the right destiny for him since he had heard the prophecy a few weeks ago… Neither can live while the other survives… Wouldn't he be living up to the prophecy, and giving himself the best chance of survival, if he joined those highly trained wizards whose job it was to find and kill Voldemort?**

"That's the end of the chapter." Harry said before he was grabbed by the twin and dragged into the next room.

"You guys do anything to him or I will kill you." Ginny said angrily.

"Don't worry, Ginny, we're just going to talk to him." Charlie said soothingly

"You better or you're dead." She retorted.

Charlie just laughed as he shut the door.

_A/N- so what do you rekon? do you think that i should put in a chapter of the boys talk or not? Pm me with your ideas.  
>Please please review cause they light up my day when i see one!<em>

_Bridget xx_


	8. Authors Note: Bear with me

Howdy Folks!

Sorry the story hasn't been updated in a while I have just been overloaded with school work and family issues and a whole heap of absolute crap in my life! I promise that I am NOT and I mean it when I say it NOT letting this story go!This story mean so much to me and it would kill me to have to stop writing it before i finished the rest of the books! I Promise the next chapter will be up in the next two or three weeks, tops!

Please bear with me I just got all my shit back together and there are about three new chapters ready to go up!

Hugs and Kisses,  
>Bridget xx<p> 


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